All I Want For Christmas
by Wedjatqi
Summary: A familiar face has returned to Atlantis and the arrival sparks off some interesting consequences for John and Teyla. JT.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **All I Want For Christmas…

**Disclaimers**: I make no profit of any kind from this fic, only hoping to enjoy this world a little more than what the writers allowed.

**Spoilers**: Set after season 5, Atlantis on Earth.

**Note: **This fic is dedicated to Camy who needs a little lift and who is selflessly running the Beya John and Teyla Secret Elf Exchange for us over at the Beya Livejournal. It's our version of the secret santa, in which we give three small gifts to our giftee on the way up to the 25th and then a bigger gift for Christmas itself. If you enjoy John and Teyla head over to the site where from this Sunday the presents will begin to be exchanged and will all begin to be posted. There will be loads of JT goodiness to enjoy. And Camy is guiding us all through it. So here is a fun silly little present for her – it's almost complete and I will post it all gradually for you towards Christmas.

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"How can you not enjoy this, Rodney?" Keller asked.

"I just don't like it, all these extra people in the city," Rodney muttered.

John pressed his tongue to the inside of his mouth as he held back his amusement. It was no secret that Rodney had gotten pretty protective of the city since Atlantis had returned to Earth. Every government and military with knowledge of the Stargate were all clamouring to send their own science teams to explore the ancient city, and Rodney had become like a mother hen – watching each new research team, worrying over 'his' city.

"Look at it this way, McKay," John suggested. "With all these extra people we can finally get all of the city mapped out."

Rodney had been looking over his shoulder suspiciously at the large numbers of new faces crowded around the buffet table. "We've mapped the city," he protested looking back round at John. "I can call up a map of any part of this city in a second."

John tried not to roll his eyes. "You know I don't mean the floor plan, Rod-ney. I'm talking about properly exploring all the labs and getting more experts to study the Ancient database."

"I agree," Teyla added into the conversation. "Have we not always spoken how rewarding it would be to focus solely on the city?"

John glanced at her beside him as he nodded. She was looking very bright and cheerful this morning, wearing a nice deep red top and her hair was tied back from her face for a change. Since the whole 'Kanaan involvement' was over she appeared to have more time to join in with the group activities again. Though, Torren's mealtimes had become something of a group activity. John looked past Teyla to where Torren sat in his high chair, his little dark eyes focused up on his mother and the spoon of food she still held. John watched the boy frown and reach for the spoon himself, impatient with his mother's distraction. Torren wasn't quite up to feeding himself yet, though he would try to, but the clean up afterwards wasn't quite worth it yet.

"It's dangerous, that's all," Rodney muttered. "All these people poking their noses into all the labs. We all know how bad things can turn," he said moodily.

Keller sighed. "Rodney, all these people are professionals and I am sure they all listen closely to your lecture when they first arrive."

John reached for his coffee cup to hide his smile.

"Mamma!" Torren exclaimed loudly from the end of the table as he smacked his hands onto the tray of his high chair.

"Torren," Teyla replied calmly and sternly. "There is no need to shout," she explained, but clearly Torren had gotten the attention he had been after. John watched the boy smile up at her and reach for the food spoon again. Teyla dipped the spoon into Torren's bowl and lifted the spoon towards Torren's mouth, who grinned triumphantly before he turned his concentration on eating.

"He's getting a little bossy, isn't he?" Rodney asked rather tactlessly. John glanced at Teyla's face, but didn't see any sign that she was upset by the comment.

"Sounds like someone else we know," John couldn't resist saying.

Rodney frowned at him, whilst Keller and Teyla made a weak show at hiding their smiles.

"Where's Ronon anyway?" Rodney asked, attempting to turn attention away from him.

"He'll be with Amelia," Keller replied with a smile. "They have become quite the couple."

John couldn't argue with that – he had hardly seen Ronon outside of their shifts.

"Of course," Rodney muttered. He and Keller may not be aware of it, but everyone else had been well aware of the competition between Rodney and Ronon last year. John had probably been the least surprised out of everyone when it had become clear that Rodney had 'won', after all John had heard straight from the horse's mouth that Rodney and Keller had a future together. But, there were still times when John had to wonder why, and judging by the rather impatient expression across Keller's face she might be wondering the same right now.

"You should be happy for Ronon, Rodney," Keller told him.

"I agree, Ronon seems very happy," Teyla added as she offered another spoonful of food to Torren.

"Sure," Rodney muttered. "But he's forgotten about us though hasn't he."

John had to smile at that. "Well, considering what they're probably up to…" he pointed out, which resulted in Teyla smacking him on the arm and Keller chuckled across the table.

"Please, like I need to think about…" Rodney muttered.

"Rodney?" A familiar female voice uttered from behind John.

He looked over his shoulder, Teyla doing the same next to him, and they both looked back and up to see Katie Brown standing a metre or so away, her hopeful shy expression unchanged.

"Katie!" Rodney all but squeaked. "What are you doing here?"

"I am part of a new research team," she replied as she approached the table. "It is good to see you, Rodney. All of you," she added as she moved around the table. Rodney stood up, his chair falling back to the floor as he got up. They exchanged a stilted, but oddly intimate, hug and stood back from each other.

"It's good to see you, Katie," Rodney said. "I didn't think you would be back in the city again…after you know…not that you're not one of the best in your field…" John watched Rodney's rambling with a mixture of serious amusement and sympathetic cringing on his friend's behalf. Rodney stopped his babbling, took a breath and started again. "It's good to see you," he said more calmly.

"It is so good to see you as well," Katie replied as she touched his arm briefly.

"How long are you going to be in the city?" Rodney asked.

"That depends on how fast it takes to go through the Ancient database," she replied with a nervous laugh.

"Of course," Rodney replied. "That could take forever then," he joked weakly.

Katie Brown laughed with him, before she looked away. "I really should get back to my team," she said as she gestured across the Mess Hall. "I just wanted to say hey," she added shyly.

"Well, 'hey' back at cha," Rodney replied. "Maybe we'll run into each other sometime around the city," he added and John winced, his gaze sliding to Keller. She looked like she was putting on a polite front.

"I hope so. It was nice to see you all again," Katie said to the table at large. Then she was moving away and John turned to watch her walk back to a small group of scientists standing around the side exit to the Mess Hall, all clearly waiting for her. John kept watching her and sure enough she looked back over her shoulder at Rodney – yep, Katie Brown wasn't over Rodney. John turned back to the table.

Rodney moved to sit down.

"Chair, Rodney," Teyla warned, gesturing with Torren's spoon to where Rodney's chair had fallen back.

"Oh, thanks," Rodney muttered as he righted the chair. John wondered if it said bad things about him that he felt disappointed at not seeing Rodney fall on his ass.

"It was nice of her to come over and say hello," Keller said with a careful tone.

John pursed his lips and glanced at Teyla beside him, to see she had glanced at him in turn and they exchanged an 'uh oh' look.

"Yes," Rodney replied as he looked back towards the exit through which Katie Brown had disappeared. "It's good to see her back in the city," he added. John wondered if kicking him under the table would help.

"Yes, it is," Keller replied.

For once in his life Rodney seemed to actually pick up on someone else's tone, and he glanced at Keller beside him. "I didn't mean…I just meant…since it was my fault that she left…"

"She chose to leave, Rodney," Keller replied. She had that tone women used when they were trying to sound indifferent, but were actually fuming at you – John was pretty sure Rodney wouldn't have picked up on it.

"I know, I just wish things could have been different," Rodney muttered.

She turned to him. "In what way, Rodney?" Even Rodney couldn't miss the less than happy edge to her voice now.

Rodney cringed at her tone. "I only meant that…things could have worked out differently…"

"Differently than you splitting up with her?"

John found himself looking from one of them to the other and then back again, like a tennis spectator. Try as he might he couldn't pull his attention away from the car crash that the couple's conversation was on. Teyla appeared to be thinking the same since she leant towards him.

"Maybe we should leave," she whispered. Her perfume drifted around John and he leant slightly closer to her to reply. Then leant an extra millimetre closer, pretending he was thinking about his answer and not inhaling her scent.

"Torren's still eating," John argued as he gestured past Teyla towards Torren. Teyla looked in her son's direction and the boy grinned back at them. His little hand had almost reached the bowl of food. He pulled it back. Teyla looked back at the couple across from them as she picked up Torren's bowl.

"It would be rude to remain," she whispered.

John glanced at Rodney's weak spluttering about being trapped in the Infirmary that day of the lockdown when he and Katie had effectively broken up. John turned his attention back to Teyla. "It would be rude to interrupt Torren's lunch," he pointed out. He saw Teyla's lips twitch, and he had a very good close up view from where he was leant shoulder to shoulder with her. He watched her press her lips tighter together.

"You are right – it would be rude," she answered, surprising him.

Rodney looked at them suspiciously, so John pulled away from Teyla as she did the same.

"It is not an issue, Rodney," Keller was saying.

Rodney turned his suspicious look to her. "But it is isn't it? Women always say that kind of thing and next thing you know you're being dumped for not realising that it was an issue," Rodney complained, which John thought wasn't the best response.

"It isn't an issue to discuss right now," Keller clarified.

"What could be an issue was that you were trapped in the Infirmary with Ronon during that lockdown. I could ask you what happened in there," Rodney pushed and this time John didn't hide his wince, unfortunately Rodney didn't see it.

Torren burped loudly from the end of the table.

"Well said, Torren," John said and Teyla's hand smacked into the side of his thigh. Rodney didn't appear to have heard John's comment. John turned to Teyla. "Ow," he exaggerated in a low voice. "What's with all the hitting me today?" He pretended the little buzz of pleasure from her attention wasn't there as he tried to glare at her.

She gave him a disbelieving look in reply. "I barely touched you," she whispered back. Oh, wasn't that the truth.

"Still hurt," he protested.

She gave him that disbelieving amused look again. "Here I was thinking you were a big strong man," she replied shaking her head.

John's heart skipped a beat – was she flirting with him? That element of their friendship had been absent for the last year or so, following Torren and Kanaan's arrival. Of course Kanaan was out of the picture now…

"I am," he protested and flexed his arm closest to her. She glanced down at his bicep and smiled just as he had hoped.

"Yet you seem to bruise so easily," she added as she turned her attention to scraping out the last of Torren's lunch from the bottom of the bowl in her hand, but she remained leant slightly towards John.

"This is from the woman who used to regularly knock me on my butt in sparring," he pointed out.

She turned the spoon, scraping right into the base of the bowl for the last scraps of food. "Now Ronon does that for me," she replied. There was a definite smile on her lips, though her gaze was focused at the bowl in her hand. John dropped his eyes to her lips again, just to check it was a smile – he should be sure. For the subject of sparring had been one they had avoided for a long time.

He hadn't sparred with her for years now, instead Ronon had filled in the role of beating him up. He wondered if she missed it as much as he did. He wondered if the reasons why they didn't spar anymore were clear for her, because it had all become a little confusing for him. Of course it was common knowledge that John sparred with Ronon almost every day. Not as much lately of course, because Ronon had been 'distracted'. The nature of that distraction was not lost on John right now. He wondered if she was offering to spar with him again…he would like that.

"He's been a little busy of late," he said back, his attention fixed on her face so as not to miss any clues as to what she might be thinking.

"As you remarked on earlier," she replied and there was definitely a flirty teasing tone there. She leant away as she offered the last spoonful of lunch to Torren and then she returned to her position close to John. John decided to test the new atmosphere a little.

"Probably knocking Amelia on her butt instead," he suggested as seriously as he could, his eyes still on Teyla's face.

Teyla turned to glance at him, giving him a very good view of her smile and the sparkle to her eyes. "I would not think Amelia to be the type of woman to be happy being the one falling on her back all the time," she said.

The sharp thrill of surprise and abrupt arousal shocked John at her unexpected reply and implication. Of course his next thought was filled with images of the type of woman who would prefer her man on his back, but Amelia wasn't the woman in his mind's eye. He had to look away from Teyla for a moment, to blink and regain some composure, but he was back looking at her, thrilled at her playfulness and at the subtle innuendo that he was sure he wasn't just reading into the situation.

"I'm afraid I don't know Amelia that well," was all he could think to reply, but he thought he saw a victorious shift to one of Teyla's eyebrows as she set Torren's bowl and spoon down on the table. John glanced past her to Torren and saw the disappointed look the little guy always got when his meal was over – at least he didn't throw a tantrum anymore.

"Now is hardly the time to talk about this, Rodney," Keller said sternly across the table.

"Fine," Rodney replied childishly in reply. Both of their voices implied that they had been arguing angrily, but John had missed all of it, so focused on Teyla had he been. A tense angry silence fell over the other side of the table.

John glanced at Teyla's tray as she set down her cup and noticed that she hadn't picked up any pudding for herself or Torren. He reached for the untouched orange sat in the corner of his own tray and began to peel it. John felt Torren's attention on him and the orange. John fed Torren occasionally, and had been known to slip the boy the odd treat. John glanced at Teyla again, wishing to get back into the flirting/teasing conversation again, but the table's atmosphere had changed too much and her attention was back on Rodney and Keller.

He looked back at the couple opposite them, who were eating in a sullen tense silence. John glanced back to Teyla and saw her amused look in return. He broke off half of his orange and offered it to her. Her eyes dropped to the fruit and she smiled. He felt more than a little pleased with himself as she took what he offered. She broke away one segment from her half and bit it in half before offering the smaller piece to Torren.

The table remained silent, half of it simmering with grumpy tension, the other with a new potential John thought. He glanced from the two opposite to Teyla beside him. She broke another piece of orange and passed it to Torren. The boy managed to hold it himself and chewed on the end of the half segment, watching his mother's chewing motions. Torren looked away from her and met John's eyes and grinned. John winked at him and Torren giggled.

Teyla turned her head to look from Torren to him and John gave her a smile, before offering her some more of his half of the orange. He watched her eyes drop to the last few pieces of his share, no doubt not wanting to take so much from him. So he set the offered pieces down on her tray, not letting her protest. There was a pause, during which he pretended not to watch her, and she reached for the pieces of orange.

"I should get back to the Infirmary," Keller announced drawing their attention as she stood with her tray. "I will see you all later," she added.

John glanced at Rodney to see his annoyed and slightly nervous expression as he looked up at her, but she didn't wait to listen to anything he might have said because she was already walking away from the table. John watched her leave, without a glance back, and looked back at Rodney.

"What?" Rodney demanded as John realised Teyla, and even Torren, were also looking at him, though perhaps Torren's focus was more directed towards Rodney's as yet untouched pudding.

"Nothing," John replied innocently, keeping to his promise to himself to always keep out of couples' problems. It was difficult occasionally with Rodney for a friend, for the guy tended to ask for advice and/or tell John about an issue. John tried to give generalised 'good' advice if he was forced into it, but mainly he had been able to keep out of it all.

A sudden tug on his sleeve made John look round at Teyla, to find himself staring into Torren's eyes, who was now balanced on Teyla's lap, his attention focused on John's last piece of orange. John glanced down at the piece he held halfway to his mouth and then back at the boy who was leaning over his mother's arm towards John. The tiny dark eyes lifted from the fruit to John's with a forlorn hopeful look and John's heart melted, despite being aware that he was being played.

"Fine," John mumbled as he offered the piece to Torren. The boy smiled widely and took the offered fruit. Teyla turned, becoming aware of the exchange.

"Torren," she admonished him gently, but the boy was reaching out with his free hand towards John now. John reached for the boy, used to his climbing from one lap to the next. Torren settled down on John's lap, shifting his back against John's arm, before he stilled and began carefully chewing on his won fruit. The boy's gentle weight and baby smell made John melt every time he held the boy. It appeared that John would get some extra cuddles today, what with Ronon and Amelia's absence and Keller's early departure.

John kept one arm around Torren and reached with his free hand for his coffee cup. Rodney was taking his time with his pudding, which was unusual and implied that his argument with Keller was more serious than the little John had caught before he had become distracted by Teyla. He looked over at her again now, and found her watching him in return. Her eyes dropped to Torren on his lap and then she looked away at Rodney. John thought he saw the subtlest flush to her cheekbones, but maybe he was seeing things.

Rodney sighed heavily with weighted exaggeration. "I'll see you guys later," he suddenly mumbled as he stood with his tray and turned away.

"See you," John replied, but Rodney was moving away too quickly to hear. John watched as Rodney dumped his tray down on the side, not clearing it as you were supposed to, and he stomped his way out of the Mess Hall. John pondered what he had heard and the way Rodney and Katie Brown had hugged.

"I think he still likes her," he announced.

Teyla sat back fully into her chair beside him. "Katie?" She asked.

John glanced at her, sure she was still sitting slightly closer than normal. "Yep," he answered with a knowing look.

Teyla gave him a bemused smile and glanced back to where Rodney had disappeared. "He and Jennifer are very close, I doubt that he would jeopardise that in any way," she said glancing back at him.

"This is Rodney we're talking about remember," John pointed out. "When are things ever simple with him?"

One of Teyla's eyebrows lifted elegantly, before she frowned. "Did you not say that they were together in the future?"

John tired not to think of that future very often – a future in which so many of those he cared for had been killed…a world where Teyla had been killed by Michael. "Sure, but that's not our future anymore," he pointed out.

She pondered that, her eyes dropping to Torren on his lap again and he wondered if she was thinking of that future in which her son had been taken by Michael. "You do not think they will last in this new reality?" She asked.

John considered the question. "Not sure," he replied with a shrug as he looked away from her and reached for the last of his coffee. "They don't seem to have that much in common."

She made a thoughtful sound. "Their relationship has seemed stable enough," she said.

"Sure, when there's nothing to test it," John replied warming to his new theory. "Don't get me wrong, I want Rodney to be happy…kind of," he added realising he had sounded a little touchy feely there and he saw Teyla smile out the corner of his eye, but he chose to ignore it. "But, surely I'm not the first to wonder why those two work out?" He asked as he gestured to the other side of the table.

"I will admit they were an…unexpected couple," she said carefully. He gave her a look to say he saw right through that politically correct statement.

"Please, Teyla, out of him and Ronon, which one would you pick?" He asked amused and even more so when she glared at him with a definite slight flush across her cheeks.

"John!"

"I don't mean that you really would date one of them, but as a woman – which one do you think most women would choose?" He pushed, wondering why he was enjoying this so much.

"I can understand why Jennifer might choose Rodney," she said.

"Really?"

Her attention was focused down to her tray and he looked down to see she was fiddling with the corner of her napkin. He couldn't remember seeing her do something so absently before.

"Maybe she sees in him something more than we can. Maybe she likes that he is so honest and openly nervous about himself. Perhaps she enjoys his mind and knows that he cares for her deeply."

John found himself unable to look away from her fingers twisting the napkin back and forth, and suddenly he wondered if that was what she had seen in Kanaan. Maybe he was the soft kind sort that was open with his feelings. John realised that he would always compare himself to Ronon over Rodney – the warrior of the two, the fighter who doesn't share all that much and who just strives to be as tough as he can be to get his job done. But women liked soft kinds of men as well, those who could cry and talk about their feelings…

"I guess," he admitted as he looked away from her fingers, his attention shifting over the table to where Rodney had sat. He tried to imagine Teyla with someone like Rodney, comparing him to Kanaan, but John hadn't really gotten to know Kanaan all that well and certainly wasn't going to start now. John was only sorry the guy was still living in the city. He wondered if she was thinking about Kanaan now while she was so silent, her thoughts clearly elsewhere. He glanced at her profile and wished he could bring back her more cheerful mood.

"Are you telling me, that given a choice, you would choose Rodney?" He asked with as playful a tone as possible, hoping to lift her mood, but also aware that he seemed unable to leave this subject alone just yet.

She looked round at him and the wide smile was back as if it hadn't gone. "I think of them like brothers, John," she argued.

"That's not answering my question," he pointed out. "If you _had_ to choose and they weren't like your brothers – which one would you choose?"

She narrowed her eyes as she seemed to finally start to consider her answer. "I would choose Major Lorne," she replied finally, surprising John.

"Lorne?!" He exclaimed. "He wasn't an option."

"I would not be drawn to either of Rodney or Ronon," she replied.

"So, you picked Lorne?" John asked as a bizarre new sensation formed in his chest. "How long have you been feeling this way for the Major?" he asked, trying not to demand and sound casual. Torren stirred against him, apparently having gone to sleep. John rubbed his hand over Torren's back to soothe him, but it didn't distract him from his new interrogation of Teyla.

She was laughing though. "I merely choose him as an example – he seems to me to be a middle ground between Rodney and Ronon," she explained, but John wasn't so sure.

"Lorne?!"

She smiled widely again, her teeth bright. "He is a warrior, yet he paints and is very insightful," she said.

"And the ability to paint is attractive to you?" he pushed teasingly, but intrigued by the new element of Teyla that she was revealing to him.

"It shows a depth to his soul," she replied profoundly.

"Painting? Anyone can paint, Teyla. Torren can paint," John gestured down to her son asleep against him.

Teyla looked down at Torren. "Torren smears one colour over the paper and then puts the rest in his hair," she replied as she looked back up at John.

"It all washed out," John defended.

She raised her eyebrow at him and looked away to reach for her cup. John watched her swallow the last of her drink, his eyes dropping to her throat as it moved. He knew what he wanted to ask, but wasn't sure that he wanted to hear the answer. He pursed his lips as he considered just asking it – maybe he could make it sound light and casual…

"Do you think of me as a brother?" He asked and was rather pleased to hear that the teasing tone was still in his voice, though his heart was abruptly beating louder than before.

Her expression showed she was surprised by his question, as he was that he had actually had the nerve to ask it, but he kept his focus on her profile. She swallowed some more of her drink, but he could still see her smile. She set the cup down and looked round at him, meeting his eyes with a strange little smile before she looked down to Torren.

"I should get him to bed for his nap," she said, that soft strange smile on her lips. He knew then that she wasn't going to answer him, as she reached for Torren, but though she hadn't answered – that was an answer in itself…wasn't it?

He passed Torren to her, who mumbled sleepily and curled up against her. John watched her stand up, desperately wanting to find a way of keeping this new vibe between them alive. A new sense of excitement had been borne from her non-answer and he was surprised how pleased he was about it. Maybe second chances could happen?

"Feel like making a bet?" He asked on impulse. She paused, looking down at him with a questioning look. "About Rodney," he added as he tilted his head towards exit through which Rodney had stomped out.

She glanced away, clearly wondering if she should do such a thing behind her friend's back. "On what exactly?" She asked.

"Keller or Katie Brown," John replied.

She frowned down at him. "You truly believe he still has interest in Katie Brown?"

The truth was John really wasn't all that sure, but he really liked the idea of setting up a bet with Teyla. "He was going to marry her," he argued.

"But he never actually asked her to be his wife," Teyla replied.

"But, he thought about it – and that's a big deal for a guy. He only didn't ask her because he didn't think he was ready," John said, pleased at the continuing playful banter between them.

"He and Jennifer love each other," Teyla answered him, but there was a slight touch of doubt in her voice he thought.

"Then you won't lose anything," he replied, looking up at her from his seat with an innocent tempting smile.

She narrowed her eyes at him and he watched her eyes slip over his face for a moment. "What is the bet exactly?"

"Whether Rodney chooses Keller or Katie Brown…by Christmas," he suggested.

"When is that again?" She asked.

"In two months," he answered.

She looked away, clearly tempted despite the fact that she wouldn't normally involve herself in such things, as far as he knew. He was a little surprised she was still listening. "What will I win?" She asked seriously as she met his eyes again.

He stood up at that, shaking his head at her. "You seem very confident," he said, stalling for time as he reached down and stacked her tray on top of his to carry to the waste area for her.

"I think they will last two months further, if not for longer," she replied.

"If you're so confident what do you want to win?" He asked looking back at her.

Her eyes narrowed at him again, but her eyes were sparkling. "What can I have?"

"What do you want?" He asked, but then before he could let that rather suggestive comment linger he added "How about something Earth related, off the city."

She made an interested sound as she glanced away, considering her reply. He cleared up the fallen pieces of orange peel from the table, piling it onto the trays. "I would like…" Teyla began and he glanced up at her to see a new look in her eyes that made him suddenly remember that she was always a dangerous opponent in those sparring sessions.

"To spend an afternoon in one of those relaxation places that Captain Medd visited last week," she said.

"A spa?" John asked, surprised at her request.

"For a massage, skin treatments and such. It sounded wonderful," she said with clear approval. He shrugged; he could afford that for her. "And then to visit the ballet that Piotr told me about last week," she added.

John tried to think who she meant. "Piotr? The Russian chemist?"

"Physicist," she amended.

"The tall pale guy with the dark glasses?" John asked and she nodded. John was starting to get the feeling that she knew a hell of a lot more people in this city than he did. "Do you mean the Russian Ballet? Where they all wear leotards and prance around?" He asked, though even he knew there was more to it than that.

"Yes, he said the performance he saw was magnificent. He gave me a disc on the history of ballet. I would love to see it live," she said, clearly fascinated. John was more interested in how close she and this Piotr were.

"He gave you a disc?"

"Yes, he purchased it for me when he was attending the performance. His sister is currently training to become a ballerina," she explained. "It seems a very skilful type of dancing."

"I guess," John replied. He could afford a ticket to a ballet for her and maybe she could take one of her friends…not this Piotr though. "Is Piotr another one of these artist types you are so drawn to?" He asked teasingly, but began to wonder that with Kanaan out of the picture, how many of the men in the city would be making a move on Teyla soon? All of them with their painting and ballet interests to tempt her.

She smiled at his question, but didn't answer him. "A visit to a spa and then a ballet performance in the evening," she stated. "And you will be accompanying me," she added with a definite glint in her eyes now.

"What?" He asked. "A spa and the ballet aren't really things a guy like me enjoys, Teyla," he said hurriedly.

Her smile turned rather wicked and he realised that she already understood that. "Some relaxation, perhaps a face mask and you can have your nails done. How can that not be good for you?" She asked, clearly enjoying this.

John glared at her, surprised at her clear grasp of this aspect of Earth culture. "I'm not having a face mask," he said carefully. "And I don't need my nails done."

She moved around the table, with the sleeping Torren against her, and he heard her chuckling. "You do not seem so confident that you will win this bet anymore," she remarked.

He picked up the trays and followed her across the mess hall. "Why don't you choose something a little more interesting like going to a football game, or we could go snowboarding?" He tried to tempt her.

She looked over her shoulder at him. "That is something _you_ would enjoy, this will be something I will enjoy." They reached the disposal area and she paused as he emptied the trays.

"You'd like snowboarding, or skiing if you want," he tried. "Hell, how about a shopping trip instead," he suggested desperately as he dumped the trays. "Anything but a spa and the ballet."

"I would love a relaxing day away from the city and to experience some Earth theatrical culture," she said, and there was a definite new pleading tempting tone of her own there. "You said I could have what I wanted. This bet was your idea after all," she pointed out.

They moved towards the exit and John sighed heavily. "Fine." And then he brightened up at the prospect of some revenge. "Now, _when_ _I win_ I was going to take you somewhere you'd enjoy, but you've changed my mind now so…" he made a show of thinking up something in retribution. "My brother's friend owns a golf course – nice one, difficult and there's a big new year party there every year. He said I could use the course and was invited to the parties whenever I wanted." He was pleased to hear her groan. "You're going to accompany me around the course, 18 holes, and then join me for the new year party. It's full of over pretentious rich people who we'll have nothing in common with." He was surprised that the prospect pleased him this much, but if they did end up there he would make sure Teyla enjoyed herself. They could sneak away from the party and find a better one…one with a ferris wheel.

The corridor was busy outside the mess hall, but John kept his attention on her. "Deal?" He asked.

She glanced at him. "To be clear – neither of us are to involve ourselves in Rodney's decision."

"Agreed," John replied. "And no giving Keller or Katie 'advice' – I know how you women are – all sharing with each other."

"So neither of us are to influence any of them, in anyway," she stressed. "No working through Ronon," she added with a pointed look.

"Like he would have time for something like that," John replied. They had reached the transporter and he waited for her to enter first.

"We keep out of Rodney's decision completely," Teyla stated as she turned in the transporter.

John stepped in beside her. "Agreed. So, if by midday Christmas day Rodney isn't with Keller anymore I win," he said as he reached towards the transporter map.

"Wait," she said as her hand dropped onto his arm, stopping him from triggering the transporter. "You said you thought he would choose Katie Brown."

"I think he still likes her, but I'm not saying he'll end up with her in two months. I think he and Keller won't last to Christmas."

She glared at him. "You are changing your side of the bet now you know what I will win. You want a greater chance of winning yourself," she said, her eyes sparkling in the overhead light and her playful smile made him almost as pleased as the fact that her hand remained on his arm.

"They either stay together or they don't," John said, not actually answering her point, as he had backtracked a bit on the bet – he didn't want to end up in a spa with green goo smeared over his face and cucumber slices over his eyes!

Teyla removed her hand from his arm and frowned. "Very well. If they are still together…_when_ they are still together…" she corrected herself and John smiled as he triggered the transporter. The room filled briefly with light and then the doors opened before them to their new floor. "…I win and we spend a nice relaxing cultural day together," she finished as she stepped forward out of the transporter.

"And if they're not I get to properly teach you how to play golf," John replied as he fell into step with her along the corridor. "And I may even let you win," he added graciously.

She gave him another one of her amused/tolerating looks as they turned the corner towards her quarters. "Agreed."

"Great," John said eagerly as they reached her quarters and she stopped, turning to face him.

There was a challenging vibe to her as she released one hand from around Torren and held it out to him. John smiled down at the Earth custom. He shook her hand.

He held her hand for a fraction longer than necessary and her eyes narrowed for a moment as she returned her hand to Torren's back.

"If you influence the outcome in anyway, John," she warned. "Then I win regardless."

John lifted an eyebrow at her. "And vice versa," he said.

She gave him that teasing look again and opened the doors to her quarters.

"I should start practicing my swing," John commented thoughtfully as she moved through her doorway.

She looked back at him. "Do you have anything smart to wear to the ballet? I understand that one must look very presentable." Her eyes slid down his uniform doubtfully.

He looked down at himself. "What? I can look presentable."

"We shall see," she replied as she triggered the door mechanism and the doors slid shut on her last words.

John grinned though as he turned away, feeling rather excited about the bet. Christmas was two months away and whatever happened for Rodney at the end of that time didn't really matter to him right now. Whatever had changed today between him and Teyla was very interesting and he would do his best to keep the playfulness going as long as possible. Maybe if he was lucky by the time Christmas came round things would be different…

-------  
TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Part**: 2/?

---------

The staircase echoed under John's boots as he descended away from the control room and his shift. The corridor was bustling with activity below and as he joined the flow of human bodies he checked his watch. He had ten minutes till he met Rodney in his lab, so that left just enough time for him to get to his quarters and then head over to Rodney's lab via one stop. He smiled to himself as he dodged around a couple of bickering scientists – it was over something to do with an electromagnet or something.

Christmas was only a month away and the research teams were working overtime to complete as much of their work as they could before the holiday season. Woolsey had allowed an extra three teams into the city to hurry along the schedule which meant an extra strain on resources, and clearly also on the rota for the electromagnet. John wasn't sure what use an electromagnet was to the research teams in the city, but it didn't really matter to him.

He made it into the tightly packed transporter only because he was recognised by those inside and space was made for him. He pressed in and wondered why it mattered, as it wasn't like it was an elevator. But then he didn't want to lose any seconds on his schedule. Fortunately the first stop on the transporter was the right one for him and being right up against the doors he was first out. He strode quickly down the hallway to his quarters. He entered and made his way to the shower room. A quick wash after his shift and a change of shirt and he was ready to go again. He checked his watch and headed towards the door, reaching for the book as he did so.

The hallways were quieter here and he strode purposefully around three corners until he reached the right area. He paused, peering around the corner to check that the coast was clear. There was no one around so he hurried towards the right door. He dipped and set the newly purchased book down on the floor, leaning it against the edge of the door frame so she would be able to see it when the doors open. He smiled smugly to himself and triggered the chimes on her door, just in case she was inside. Then he hurried away, trying not to snigger to himself.

--------

The fabric was very beautiful as Teyla brushed her hand over it and she glanced up at her friend with a smile. "Thank you, Jennifer."

"I thought the colour would suit you," Jennifer offered from her seat opposite Teyla.

"I think I shall make a skirt or perhaps a dress out of it," Teyla thought out loud. The thick material would sit well and the merging colours from deep red to deep green would look lovely as either. She thought it might make a lovely outfit for her trip to the ballet. She controlled her smile as she folded the fabric back up. She glanced over at her friend and it was clear that Jennifer was in a low mood today. Teyla suspected it had to do with Rodney, but she felt rather conflicted on that matter, for she had promised John that she would not interfere in any way in the couple's relationship, but at the same time Jennifer, and Rodney, were her friends. It would be odd and rude for her not to ask.

"How was your trip?" She asked as she set the folded material aside on the table.

Jennifer glanced down at Torren who was playing on the thick carpet near their seats. "India was lovely. So much colour and life there. Though, Rodney complained through most of it," she added. Teyla detected the sullen edge to that last part.

"You have not visited India before?" Teyla asked carefully steering the conversation away from the darker subject. She regretted that her friend was struggling in her relationship and yet she associated something quite different with the relationship – a lovely day out or a dull golf course. Teyla didn't like herself very much at the thought. She should be a better friend.

"No, and I hope to visit again sometime. Though perhaps without Rodney," Jennifer said.

"He did not enjoy himself," Teyla observed. She had to support her friend and regardless she had hope that the bond between her two friends was strong to last.

"He didn't stop going on about the water, the service and healthcare issues. It was a beautiful place and he was being ridiculous."

"Rodney does worry," Teyla replied with a smile.

"He sure does," Jennifer added with a heavy smirk.

"Did you take photos?" Teyla asked.

"Yes, loads, though we managed to lose a lot. Well, Rodney did, he deleted a load 'by accident', but I think he just didn't like the fact that he was in most of them," she said.

Teyla laughed, focusing on the humour of her words and not on the undertone. "I would love to see them."

"Of course, I didn't think to bring them with me. I'm sorry, Teyla," Jennifer replied with a frown.

"They can wait, it is good to have you back in the city."

"It is good to be back," Jennifer said with her first proper smile since she had arrived ten minutes ago. "And I'm sure Torren has grown in just a week!"

Teyla smiled as she looked down at Torren who was mumbling to himself as he stacked up his toys in a wall on one side of him. She watched him put a brick on top of a soft toy and of course they all collapsed. She watched Torren frown, not understanding, but he picked them up and tried again. She smiled down at him happily.

"And how have things been here?" Jennifer asked.

Teyla looked back at her friend, aware that the doctor was trying to turn the conversation away from her sullen feelings. "There have been so many more people visiting the city, so parts of the city are so busy with people," Teyla told her.

"I guess everyone wants the opportunity to get home for the holidays."

"What are you planning to do for Christmas?" Teyla asked. She knew that Jennifer did celebrate that holiday though not everyone in the city did.

"I hope to visit my folks back home, but I would like to spend Christmas Eve in Atlantis."

"What is Rodney doing?" Teyla asked, skipping around the edges of the promises regarding influence.

"He's going to spend Christmas day at his sister's. She invited me as well, but I'm still undecided. I really should visit my family this year."

Teyla nodded, holding back any comments she may have normally have said. "Well, it will be nice that most of us will be in the city Christmas Eve."

"Yes, it's going to be nice to spend it here on Earth for a change," Jennifer said with a proper smile. "It may even snow," she added.

Teyla smiled at that. "Torren has yet to see snow."

"That will be so much fun to watch," Jennifer's smile dropped a little. "How have things been with Kanaan?" She asked carefully.

Teyla glanced back down to Torren. "We have found a good routine and Torren seems happier now. He spends three days a week with Kanaan."

"That's good," Jennifer replied. Teyla could feel the sympathy and slight concern from her friend. "Its better that his father is in the city and not back in Pegasus."

"Yes, Kanaan is a doting father," Teyla replied. She was aware that her feelings regarding her breakup with Kanaan seemed old and resolved now. "I am happy with how everything has worked out," she said.

"That's good. I suppose the Christmas holidays don't mean that much to you, but this time of year is considered to be a time of year to focus on family. I wouldn't want you to be feeling sad."

Teyla was touched at her friend's words. "Thank you, Jennifer, but I am fine." In fact the last month particularly had been very enjoyable. She had been spending more time with John again and they had even begun to spar once more. She had been very impressed by the increase in his skill from his training with Ronon, and sparring with him now presented more of a challenge for her than it had before. It was clear that he had developed more of his own style, which was heavily influenced by Ronon and clearly the more competitive sparring sessions they had shared.

John usually tried to 'win points' as he and Ronon had referred to it, with hand to hand work around the sticks and he constantly worked to distract her with his lessons on the 'perfect golf swing'. She felt an odd moment of regret though at Jennifer and Rodney's return from India, for with them away and Ronon with Amelia, mealtimes had been mostly just herself and John. They had been playful happy meals through which they teased each other about the bet. She had felt like they had been a small island unto themselves of late, but with their friends' return those private meals would be far fewer. She wondered, not for the first time, at the change to her interaction with John.

When she and Kanaan had neared the end of their relationship she had become aware of how distanced she had become from particular people socially, especially John. Once she had more free time away from Kanaan she had promised to try and mend some of the distance between her and John. At first it had been simply spending more time in his presence, but then something else had begun to appear. Something from the earlier days of their friendship. A teasing sense of playfulness that she had thought lost, but it had returned. Though, it did feel different. She wondered if it felt so different because she was comparing being in his presence to being in Kanaan's. Kanaan was a calm, quiet man with a deep open heart, yet he had also been very passive and happy to step into the background. She considered that it may have been those qualities that had meant it had taken so long for him to voice his displeasure with how their relationship had been. And perhaps she had also avoided talking to him about the clear growing void between them.

Being around John felt very different. He was playful, challenging and had a very fast mind that interested her. Whereas she had enjoyed Kanaan's deep quiet stillness, now she appreciated the light and ease of John's company. She did not doubt that John had great depth, which he had shared with her on occasion, but with him she found herself feeling more equal and at ease. She felt she had to do less than she had with Kanaan, as much as she had cared for her childhood friend and former lover. John's company lifted her and she had allowed herself to be more playful with him in return.

However, there seemed to be an aspect to the teasing playfulness with John that worried her - the aspect of her affection for John that went beyond what one felt for a friend. She had thought it long lost, but it had returned, perhaps never having truly died. That part of her that seemed to glow hotly in her chest as she watched him sit for long periods of time with her son, the two of them building something, or painting a smudgy picture. She glanced across the room to the notice board on which were pinned the paintings the two had made for her only last week. One was covered with handprints in various colours and the other was filled with sweeping brush strokes of differing colours. She could easily pick out John's demonstration ones for Torren, for the brushstrokes were straight and controlled, whilst her son's were done with wild happy abandon. She smiled at the paintings.

She had caught herself staring at John yesterday, just blatantly staring at the colour of his eyes. He had been focused on Torren, unaware of her intense interest. The light had been shining at just the right angle, and he had been leaning past her close enough for her to see the fascinating mix of green, blue and touches of light brown to his irises. She had not noticed how much colour there was mixed in his eyes before and she had simply studied them in silence. He had eventually moved and she had snapped her eyes away, surprised at herself. She had thought that she had control of her attraction to him, but it appeared that with the new teasing between them, that she was finding herself lost in him again. She had considered whether it may be best to pull back a little, to protect herself. Yet, was he not teasing and flirting in return with her? She felt rather torn between simply enjoying herself and risk some heartbreak, or to pull back from him. But distance between them was something she had not wanted to repeat and yes, there was that deep part of her that still hoped…

"…and I said to him why bother?" Teyla suddenly realised Jennifer had been talking and she had missed it all. She looked at Jennifer and nodded, hoping that was the best response. "Exactly," Jennifer said which seemed good. "He told me that he had only seen her twice in the city, but Maggie in Resources said she saw them talking outside his lab last Tuesday just before we left for India."

Teyla frowned at where the conversation had headed without her being aware. Jennifer was sounding suspicious of Rodney and whereas before now she had always talked happily about how lovely Rodney was, now she seemed full with frustration with him. Teyla began to wonder if she should have been paying more attention to John's instructions on how to swing a golf club.

The door chimes echoed through the room halting Jennifer in her sentence and giving Teyla an excuse to turn the conversation away from complaining about Rodney.

"Come in," Teyla called out. She wondered if it might be John, as his shift would have ended five minutes ago, but there was no movement from the door. Perhaps whoever it was hadn't heard her call. The walls of the ancient rooms were very soundproof, though the doors were far less so. She stood and moved across the room and opened the doors herself.

An empty corridor greeted her. She stuck her head out and looked one way and then the other in case whoever it was had given up and was walking away, but the hallway was empty. She frowned at that and turned, only for her boot to catch against something on the floor. She looked down at the book leant against the doorframe and began to smile as she read the title. She reached down for it and as she picked it up she noted how thick it was. It felt new as well. She rolled her eyes as she tried not to grin so much. She stuck her head back out into the corridor again, just in case he was hovering around the corner to watch her find the book. There was no movement and she smiled again as she turned back into her quarters. The doors slid shut behind her and she shook her head as she moved back towards her chair.

"What's that?" Jennifer asked.

"Just someone trying to make a point," Teyla replied as she set the book down on the table.

"Golf for Dummies?" Jennifer read out the title with a confused question.

Teyla shook her head as she tried to control her grin. She would have to think up some way to get back at him. "It doesn't matter. What were you saying?"

-----------

John was still smiling to himself as he reached Rodney's lab. He wished he had waited to hear Teyla's reaction to the book, but at the same time the not knowing was just as good as he would have to wait to see if she said anything later. He glanced at his watch as he turned into the lab – he was only one minute late.

"Hey, Rodney," John greeted his friend who he hadn't seen for over a week, but he paused as he entered the room. "What the hell happened in here?" He asked as he took in the massive amount of tinsel hanging across the walls, strung from each corner to the central light fixture and along the edges of all the work tables. A half sized Christmas tree stood in one corner, heavily weighed down with various bright and sparkly decorations. Beside the tree a foot high Santa Claus stood with one hip out and a big smile. John frowned down at it and as Rodney clapped his hands the Santa began wiggling its butt along with to the loud bars of 'Santa Claus is coming to town'. John barely suppressed his smile.

"Jenkins and Matthews are what happened to my lab," Rodney answered once Santa had stopped his dance. The two lab technicians had clearly taken full advantage of Rodney's absence.

John walked further into the lab to find that the wall beside the door had Christmas cards tapped all over it. "It looks like the Ghost of Christmas threw up in here," John remarked.

"Nice," Rodney muttered. "I've just got to finish this report then I'll be with you."

"Great," John replied and purposefully clapped his hands together. Santa began dancing again and John thoroughly enjoyed the impatient glare he got from Rodney.

"Very funny," Rodney said. "Like you aren't the first one to do that today." He turned his attention down to his laptop, but John knew the guy could continue a conversation as he worked.

"If you don't like it why haven't you switched it off already?" John asked as he settled onto one of the tall stools across the table from Rodney.

"I hardly notice it," Rodney mumbled.

"Really?" John asked and clapped his hands again. Over the Santa music he watched Rodney purse his lips angrily. "Why haven't you ripped all this down?" He asked suspiciously.

"Jenkins bet I couldn't 'get into the Christmas spirit'," Rodney replied, his eyes fixed on his laptop.

"Since when do you care?" John asked.

Rodney tapped away on his keyboard for a long moment and John wondered if the answer would involve Keller in some way. "Jennifer may have said something similar."

"Oh." John had been right. Great. "So, how was India?"

"Okay," Rodney replied. Okay, this was all sounding interesting, but John didn't want to push. Firstly because it wouldn't be like him to push and secondly he had promised to keep to the rules he and Teyla had set up. Because there was no way he was going to end up at the ballet simply by forfeit. "I got you something," Rodney said finally as he reached across to another table and tossed a small packet to John.

John caught what was clearly an airport bag with a small box inside. "They didn't let you use the Daedalus' transporter then?" John asked as he opened the bag and pulled out a small plastic box. He shook his head down at the small model kids toy of an AirIndia commercial jet. "Gees, thanks McKay," John replied as he glared over at his friend, to see Rodney was smirking as he worked.

They lapsed into silence as John put his gift back in its bag and turned to look at the excessive Christmas-ness around him. He bet silently to himself that it wouldn't last to the end of the week. He then wondered if he had a possible budding gambling problem.

"You were married right?" Rodney asked abruptly.

John turned back to him with a wary look. "Sure."

"So, you went on long trips with your wife, what was her name?"

"Nancy, and it's still her name. We went on two long trips," John confirmed.

"Only two?" Rodney asked.

John really didn't want to open this can of worms for himself. "Well there would have been more, but I tended to get called up on short notice for missions. It tended to ruin vacations."

"I can imagine. I would never just leave Jennifer to fly off somewhere else," Rodney replied.

"I didn't just leave her in the middle of some desert, Rodney," John argued, though one occasion had been close.

"I've heard people say that if you can't last a week alone together that a relationship isn't going to last," Rodney said.

John frowned at him. "People say a lot of things," he replied. He wanted to ask if things hadn't gone well in India, but he also didn't want to get into the conversation if he was going to end up influencing Rodney's mind. But, it didn't feel right to just ignore the implication for advice from his friend. "You've spent time alone just the two of you before, haven't you?"

"Not for as long as this trip," Rodney replied as he began to shut down his computer.

John took in the sullen expression on Rodney's face and found himself feeling bad for the guy. "Things didn't go well then?"

Rodney shut the laptop and carried it over to another table to put it away. "I think I irritated her a lot," he said as turned back towards John.

"I'm sure she's used to that," John joked, but Rodney gave a half shrug of acceptance in reply. "I'm sure it wasn't as bad as you think," John offered.

"I don't know," Rodney replied. "I just…I keep finding myself thinking about…other things lately." John began to think that Teyla's book may have been a good move. "Since seeing Katie again…" John carefully kept his expression blank – he knew he had been right. "It's made me think about how things ended with her," Rodney confessed. John kept quiet, keeping to the not interfering rule, but did nod helpfully. "Not that I don't care for Jennifer, it's just that I know she finds me difficult a lot of the time. Katie is more like me…you know…?"

John had a moment of indecision – what should he say? "Is she?" He said in the end.

Rodney sighed and shook his head. "Maybe I'm just worried about how things may turn out."

"Hey," Ronon's voice surprised John and he turned to see the big man enter the lab. "Why are you still here?" John checked his watch and realised he and Rodney had been here for fifteen minutes, no wonder Ronon had come looking for them.

"Rodney's thinking about his feelings," John said as an explanation.

"Oh," Ronon replied as he entered, only to stop and look round at the decorations. John waited till Ronon's eyes landed on the Santa and then clapped his hands. Ronon only lifted his eyebrows as he watched the Santa jiggle its hips.

"I'm not responsible for any of this," Rodney protested over the carol.

"Matthews?" Ronon asked John.

"And Jenkins," John replied and Ronon nodded as he walked further into the lab.

"So, are we going?" Ronon demanded.

"Why, you got an important date?" Rodney asked. "Of course, you always have a date."

Ronon gave him a smug smile in return. "I'm sparring after lunch," he replied.

"After you eat?" Rodney asked.

"A fight can happen at any time, McKay," Ronon said as he prodded the Christmas tree next to the Santa.

John watched him suspiciously. "Who you sparring with?"

"Does it matter?" Ronon asked.

"So you mean Amelia," John replied with a grin.

"Do you two do everything together now?" Rodney asked. "We only ever see you when you're eating."

"Re-fuelling," John clarified.

Both of them gave him a look. "You know relationships based solely on sex are usually very short lived," Rodney said.

"If you say so," Ronon replied with another wide smug grin.

Rodney sighed. "Whatever, let's go eat." He grabbed his jacket and headed for the door.

"Great," John exclaimed as he stood up and clapped his hands. Santa danced away as they followed Rodney out into the corridor.

"What's up with him?" Ronon asked John as they fell into step behind Rodney.

"Seems he's worrying about women," John answered.

"Which one?" Ronon asked teasingly.

Rodney stopped and turned back towards them. "Great, here I am seriously trying to look at my situation and possible future and you guys can only make jokes."

"What do you want us to do? Give you a hug?" John asked.

Ronon opened his arms wide towards Rodney and John chuckled. Rodney sighed again and turned away, but John saw the smile on his face this time. John and Ronon followed him.

"You know, Rodney, Ronon doesn't hug many people," John pointed out. "You should take the offer seriously." Ronon glared at him, but John ignored him.

"Maybe its Amelia." Rodney said over his shoulder.

"What about Amelia?" Ronon demanded.

"Maybe it's because of her that you're becoming all cuddly," Rodney replied over his shoulder, a glint in his eye now.

"Maybe," John replied as he looked up at Ronon. "You getting all soft on us, Ronon?" Rodney chuckled.

Ronon glanced down at John. "I never have _that_ problem," he replied haughtily.

"We don't need to hear those kind of details, Ronon," Rodney protested.

"I got nothin' to hide," Ronon replied confidently.

"Please, there are some things that are best kept hidden," Rodney pointed out as they reached the staircase. They began to climb up towards the mess hall level. John and Ronon made Rodney use the stairs, as without going on missions off world anymore Rodney had no real form of exercise. He had seemed unwilling to join John and Ronon in their exercise routines, so it was the staircase over the transporter.

"So, what's with you and Jennifer?" Ronon asked, surprising John, and Rodney as well if the guy's shocked suspicious look meant anything.

Rodney seemed willing to unburden today though, because he answered Ronon – the man he had faced off against to win Keller. "I think she's getting bored with me," he replied glumly.

"Then prove her wrong," Ronon replied. "You've got to fight for your woman, McKay."

John was more than a little impressed with that – so simply and confidently put.

"You think it's that simple?" Rodney asked thoughtfully as he stopped on the stairs to look back at Ronon.

"Sure," Ronon replied. "Then if she wants you she will fight for you as well. If not then you find someone better."

Rodney frowned. "How do you know if there's someone better?"

John could guess at which other woman Rodney was thinking about, but he found that his own thoughts were turning to Teyla. As they did so much lately. He had regrets from the past about her and the changes to their friendship lately had given him some hope that perhaps another opportunity was presenting itself. He looked to his friends ahead of him as they talked their way up the staircase. One of them was struggling with his feelings for two women, maybe questioning what it was he wanted, and the other seemed to have thoroughly immersed himself into a lustful relationship. The two of them were wound up in their relationships and John had serious doubts that either of them would last, but that wasn't his business. Okay, a golf game and escaping from a day of hell made him a little invested in Rodney's Christmas relationship status.

As he followed them quietly he found himself working out how long it had been since he had been in a relationship, and decided that no small part of that had been due to his serious attraction to Teyla. And now he perhaps had the opportunity to 'fight' and see if there really was anything between them. He was pretty sure that if there was that it would be something much deeper than a purely lustful romance, not that he wouldn't want some of that, nor would it be a relationship in which he could ever imagine himself doubting his feelings for Teyla.

They arrived at the mess hall some time after that, but John had been lost in his own thoughts. The door opened and he saw that as usual of late the large room was pretty busy. But, what drew most of his attention was Teyla standing beside Keller at the buffet table of lunch selections. Torren was standing by Teyla, one arm wrapped around her leg.

Ronon snuck up behind Torren and made him jump, which in typical baby form meant only fun. John watched Ronon pick up the boy and swing him round. John followed Rodney towards them and he watched as Rodney and Keller said hello, which consisted of rather strained smiles and a brief touch on the arm. John glanced at Teyla and saw her look back at him with one eyebrow lifted. He shook his head doubtfully and she shook her head at him in return and rolled her eyes theatrically.

John felt a brief moment of regret that their quiet little meals together would be mostly over with everyone else back, as much as he loved them all around. He picked up a tray and joined in the line behind her and Ronon, who had Torren sat up high in one arm. Torren waved at John and John winked back. Everyone gathered up their food, but John held back waiting patiently until it was only him and Teyla left at the table as Ronon carried Torren to the table.

"You been talking to Keller then?" He asked innocently as he forked some sliced meat onto his tray.

"Yes, she even brought me a lovely gift from India," she replied clearly avoiding his true meaning.

"She say anything about how their trip went?" He asked as he reached for the salad selection.

"She said India was very colourful and beautiful," she replied. He smiled at her tone, knowing full well that she knew more than that.

"I guess Rodney had more to say then," John remarked.

"To which of course you said nothing," she pointed out, looking round at him.

He gave her his best innocent look. "Of course," he replied. "And of course you said nothing to Keller…"

"Of course not," She replied with a smile as she reached for the salad.

"Try the sweetcorn mix," John suggested. "It was really good last week." She reached for the sweetcorn. "You get any other gifts today?" John asked, watching her face as he reached for the juice.

She straightened and looked up at him with a very blank expression. "No. Though someone had littered outside by door," she added as if it was a curious thing.

He lifted the jug of juice asking if she wanted some. She held out her empty cup and he poured it full of apple juice. "It's a thick book and there's only three and a half weeks till Christmas," he pointed out as he poured out some juice for himself. "You should really get started on it."

She sipped at her juice and he watched as she licked her lips with a smile. "I doubt that will be necessary."

John set the jug back down on the table and lifted his tray as he turned to her. He looked past her to the very full table of their friends and family and wondered if she would miss their quiet meals together. She turned and looked at the table as well and he realised he had been a bit obvious.

"It is nice to have everyone back," Teyla said with a smile in her voice.

"It sure is," John replied.

"Though not as quiet and relaxing as it has been," she added and he smiled lightly. She looked back at him. "It will be a good thing then that we will have the spa trip to help us relax after Christmas is over."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "I doubt that will be necessary," he repeated her words back to her.

She grinned up at him, her eyes sparkling and he smiled back, caught up in the darkness of her eyes. The moment lasted longer than normal as they looked at each other.

"Excuse me," a soft voice made them break eye contact as they looked round to realise that they had been blocking part of the buffet table. Blocking it from Katie Brown.

As John moved away from the table he gave Teyla a pointed look towards Katie. It had to be a sign, but Teyla rolled her eyes again and led the way towards their busy lively table.

----------  
TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**Part**: 3/?

---------

The cold air from outside gusted in around Teyla as she followed the others into the latest department store in the city of San Francisco. The store was very much like the others they had visited today – full of bright sparkling decorations, to the point of absurdity in some cases, repetitive Christmas music and shelves upon shelves of goods to be purchased.

The others had told her that if they had scheduled their shopping trip at the weekend that there would have been barely any room to move. To Teyla's eyes there were plenty of people around today and she was glad that Torren was back in Atlantis with his father today. All day long she had heard the sounds of grumbling young children grown bored or frightened by all the other shoppers. Besides, it had given her the opportunity to purchase gifts for Torren, which were currently stored with the others' bags back in the minivan that had brought them from the military base after their cloaked Jumper ride from Atlantis.

The morning had been full of very successful shopping followed by a lovely meal in a friendly restaurant. It had been an enjoyable day, though they were all beginning to flag slightly. She had purchased her Secret Santa gift, which was how the gift giving system in Atlantis was organised, and had only to buy some cards and perhaps something as a retribution for John.

Following the book he had left outside her quarters she had retaliated with a smart bowtie that Zelenka had picked up for her on his shopping trip. He hadn't asked who it was for and had presumably thought it was her Secret Santa gift. Teyla had left the bowtie outside John's quarters with a note declaring that it was for the trip to the ballet performance.

She smiled as she wandered down an isle of bright stuffed toys, barely looking at them, as she recalled that he had said nothing about the bowtie, but two days later a small golf club had appeared in the corner of her room. She knew from flicking through the Dummies book that the club was called a putter and was designed for short distance shots. She had said nothing to John about its arrival, even when the next day a small pot of golf balls also appeared when her back was turned. She studiously ignored the new addition. However, only yesterday she had found outside her door a small green velvet lined open box in it that was clearly designed to represent a hole in a golf course. She had seen him and others use them to practice their putting. She had added it to the collection in the corner with a smile. The temptation to actually try them out was growing, but she knew that had been his intention so decidedly didn't. After Christmas maybe…

The shelves of stuffed toys became a table of boxed gifts and ahead of Teyla Jennifer began looking through them. Teyla turned her attention to them as well, fascinated at the variety of items that could be purchased.

"Have you decided whether you are visiting your folks, Jennifer?" Victoria, one of the nurses from the Infirmary, asked and Teyla turned her attention to Jennifer's reply.

"I'm planning to spend Christmas day with them," Jennifer replied over the wide table display.

"You going to take Rodney with you?" Captain Medd asked with a smile as she examined a packaged box of elegant glasses and chocolates.

Jennifer sighed as she picked up a box of bath salts. "I don't think they're quite ready to meet him yet," she replied with a tight smile. "Besides he is spending the day with his sister and her family."

Teyla purposefully turned and focused her attention on the display of books behind Jennifer. Christmas was only two weeks away and Jennifer and Rodney were still together – she smiled as she reached for a cookery book and flicked through the photos at the variety of Earth cuisine.

"Can't you go with him?" Medd asked Jennifer.

"Are you going to MacKenzie's family for Christmas?" Jennifer asked in return.

Teyla glanced over her shoulder to see the happy little smile play over Medd's face. "Yes, we are leaving for Scotland on Christmas Eve."

"You'll miss Christmas Eve in the city," Amelia said from Medd's right. Amelia had been rather quiet all day, still clearly a little new to their group of friends. She had only joined the shared mealtimes in Atlantis when Ronon asked her to, and though she did talk with everyone and was made welcome it was clear to Teyla that she felt rather like an outsider. Teyla had made sure to invite her along with the others on 'the ladies' shopping trip today. Amelia had willing come along and had been good company, though quieter than the others.

"I know," Medd replied as she set down the box of wine glasses. "But as we're going to have to use commercial flights we'll need plenty of time to get there."

"Do they live in the wilds of Scotland?" Victoria asked eagerly.

"No, in a small house in Glasgow, but they've hired a small place in the Highlands for the main Christmas party as there's a lot of family arriving from across the UK."

"Wow, how romantic - a proper Christmas party in the Highlands!" Victoria replied as she moved around the table.

"He says it'll be very cold though," Medd replied.

"I'm sure you'll keep him warm," Jennifer said before she sighed heavily. "I really have no idea what to buy for Rodney." She had been looking all day for his gift. "What do you buy a man whose idea of an ideal present is a new set of whiteboards for his calculations?"

"He didn't really say that, did he?" Victoria asked.

"He might as well have," Jennifer muttered. "What have you bought MacKenzie?" She asked Medd.

"That is between us," Medd replied with a suggestive smile.

Teyla glanced at her as they others did.

"Oh really?" Victoria asked. "Would these be sexy kind of presents?" She didn't wait for an answer for she turned immediately towards Jennifer. "There's your answer – by some sexy lingerie," she suggested.

"I don't think Rodney would look good in anything like that," Medd replied with a laugh.

Victoria glared at her. "Thank you for _that_ image," she complained.

"I really think I should buy something for him," Jennifer replied with a flush across her cheekbones.

"That would be a gift for him," Victoria protested with a smile. "Do you really think he'll be disappointed with that kind of gift? He's a man – what else could he want?"

"Mmmm," Jennifer replied as she turned away towards the book display with Teyla was making her way through.

"Okay, what was that?" Victoria asked after a beat.

"Katie Brown is back in the city," Medd whispered.

"That was ages ago."

"She's still here and Rodney has been spending time with her."

"I trust Rodney," Jennifer stated from beside Teyla as she set a book down on a shelf rather heavily. "He says he has been helping Katie with her research." Teyla glanced over her shoulder to the others and saw their doubtful looks.

"I'm sure he has been," Amelia said. "He's been very involved with assisting all the research teams."

"Yes he has," Jennifer replied with added tone.

There was a pause as everyone took that in.

"Well at least you don't have to find something for his family," Medd muttered about her search for a gift for MacKenzie's mother. "What am I going to buy his 'mum'? I've never even talked to her!"

"How about one of those home spa kits?" Amelia suggested. Teyla's ears picked up at that and she turned away from the books with interest. "I'm sure MacKenzie will have told them about your trip to the spa."

"That's a really good idea," Medd replied. "They'll have something like that in here, won't they?" She asked looking around the store.

"They'll be this way," Victoria announced and walked off down an isle.

Teyla followed her and Medd, an idea forming about her retribution. They found the bathroom section near the back and the gentle mix of scents was most welcoming and made Teyla smile. She barely listened to the conversation over which kit to get the MacKenzie matriarch, instead she made her way down the isles to find something not too expensive with which she could taunt John.

A month or so after arriving on Earth she had been informed by Mr Woolsey that she would be paid wages by the IOA for her work in the city. Every month she had money sent to a bank account that was set up for her, and John had taken her to a cash machine on the first of the sight seeing trips he had insisted she and Ronon experience on Earth. She had been given a personal code that allowed her to remove money from her account as and when she wished. She had taken a lot out a first so that if Atlantis were to leave Earth quickly, that she would have some barter money in the city at last. But, the rest she only needed to spend on clothing and items for Torren. She had a small amount left today following her shopping, but there would be plenty to buy something to make John squirm with the prospect of attending a spa.

She stopped in front of a section of manicure sets and smiled.

"Do you think Rodney is seeing Katie behind my back?" Jennifer abruptly asked from Teyla's right. Teyla turned to her friend, once again feeling regret at the situation. She had tried very hard to keep out of her friends' problems, but at the end of the day she hated to see Jennifer so down. She also had no intention of spending an entire day walking around a golf course.

"Do you really believe that he is?" She asked.

Jennifer glanced down at a sparkly box of handmade soaps she held. "I don't think so, but…we haven't been very close lately."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Teyla offered gently.

"I know I'm being paranoid and I know that he cares for me…but…there are times Teyla when I think that…" She returned the box of soaps to the shelf.

"What?" Teyla asked.

"That maybe everyone else was right to be shocked at us together." Teyla was surprised that Jennifer had been so aware of others' opinions, and that it bothered her.

Teyla glanced to where Victoria and Medd were selecting spa kits a short distance away while Amelia was happily digging through a discount bin. Teyla looked back at Jennifer's worried expression. Teyla reached out and laid a hand on her arm.

"Do not worry what others think, Jennifer. All that matters is what you think, what you feel," she offered. It was safe advice she felt.

Jennifer nodded and turned back to the shelves. "You're right. And what I'm feeling right now is that I really should buy him something for Christmas, and I don't think I'll find it in this section," she added with a smile and turned away on her gift hunt.

Teyla didn't follow her though - instead she looked back to the manicure sets and smiled.

------

The wrapping was slow going, but that's what you got when you employed a little kid to help you. Torren had several pieces of sticky tape attached to his clothes and one on his forehead, but he had gotten better at the taping. John held the folded ends of the present closed for Torren as the boy leant forward and pressed the sticky tape haphazardly over the fold.

"Well done, Little Guy," John praised him as the paper held in place this time. Torren giggled and looked up at John with a wide smile.

Torren was sat in front of John on the floor, small novelty Santa hat on, and he lifted the wrapped present and handed it to John.

"Thank you," John replied as he took it and added it to the small pile they had built up. "Next, we have a rather boring present for my brother," John announced as he fished out the gift. "What paper do you want to use for this one?" He asked Torren.

Torren turned to the paper selections, one finger in his mouth as he used whatever baby decision making process was involved in paper selection. "Dat one," Torren announced, pointing towards the red paper with snowflakes and snowmen on it with his drool covered finger.

"Good choice," John said as he reached for the paper and spread it out on the floor between them. John set the book on the paper, measuring how much paper he would need. He turned and cut the paper on the low table next to him, well away from Torren. The scissors went into a protective pouch as soon as he was finished with them, and he laid out the paper on the floor again. The chimes rang out from across his quarters.

"Come in," John shouted across the room. "Okay, tape," John instructed Torren as he folded the paper around the book. Torren reached for the tape dispenser that had pre-cut pieces that just needed to be pulled free of the container. Torren grasped the end of the tape and pulled. The piece of tape came away and this time he didn't drop it or drool on it. "Okay, on the paper," John encouraged him, as across the room the doors opened. Torren leant forward and very carefully placed the piece of tape in pretty much the right place.

John looked up to see Teyla had entered.

"Mamma!" Torren exclaimed as he saw her. "Tape!" He added excitedly as he pointed at his expertly placed piece of tape.

"Hello you two," she greeted as she walked towards them. She stopped a few feet away and looked around. "No paint today I see."

John grinned up at her as he folded the paper around one end of Dave's present. "I thought I would put Torren to work."

She nodded as she crouched down by them. "I can see that. Are you helping John with his wrapping?" She asked Torren as she leant down and kissed her son's forehead. Torren clapped his hands excitedly.

"Tape," John said and Torren turned his attention to pulling out the next piece of tape.

John held the folded paper down and waited for Torren to place the tape on it. He looked at Teyla as he waited. "How was the shopping trip?"

She smiled. "It went very well," she answered as she sat down properly on the floor, crossing her legs and looking like she was going to stay for a bit, rather than simply picking Torren up. "Kanaan said you had offered to watch Torren this evening for me."

John nodded as he watched Torren place the tape. Kanaan had actually called him, which had been something of a shock. John had responded instantly to the radio call, worried that something had happened to Torren, but Kanaan had simply been looking for a babysitter as Teyla's return had been delayed until a Jumper had been free to return the ladies from their shopping trip. It had felt really weird visiting Kanaan's quarters to pick up Teyla's son, but John had done it and had been very cordial with Kanaan. John hadn't asked what Kanaan had planed for this evening that he wasn't free to look after Torren later than normal. Instead John had happily taken Torren for some dinner with Ronon and then had brought him back here to help with the wrapping.

"It's not a problem, besides he's been very helpful," John replied as he folded the other end of the paper closed and held it for Torren. "Tape," he said and Torren dutifully set about pulling out another piece.

John glanced back to Teyla. "What did you think of San Francisco?"

"The stores were very well stocked," she replied as she peeled a random piece of sticky tape off Torren's sleeve. "There was hardly any space left in the minivan on our way out to the Jumper," she added with a smile as she removed the piece of tape from Torren's forehead. John had tried that before and Torren had complained at its removal, but there were no grumbles now. At which point John realised that Torren had just taped one of John's thumbs to the paper. He had to look away from Teyla and her bright cheeks to remove his thumb.

"Did you find everything you needed?" He asked as he added another piece of tape when Torren wasn't looking.

"Oh, yes," Teyla replied with an amused tone. He looked at her suspiciously. He had the feeling that there would be another teasing gift in his future.

"Have you been practising your putting?" He asked as he attached Dave's card to the front of the present.

She ignored his question. "I did stop into the tourist information centre," she informed him. "I picked up some information you may need." She fished around in a pocket and then held up a brochure – for the ballet. "The Nutcracker," she said with a decidedly wicked, perhaps slightly ironic, voice from behind the brochure.

He pursed his lips to hide his smile as he reached for the next present.

"It's showing into the new year," she added helpfully.

He already knew that of course, because he had already reserved a couple of tickets. He had realised last month that if she did win the bet then the wait for the ballet tickets could be long. So he had grudgingly bought two tickets, having decided that if he won he would still give them to her and she could take someone else. He didn't want her to be disappointed, but she didn't need to know that yet.

"I doubt that will be necessary," he said instead as he peeled the price label off the present for Carson – his Secret Santa present. The bobble-headed Scotsman desk toy bobbed its head as he put it on the floor and asked Torren to make his next paper selection.

"Nevertheless I will leave the brochure here for you and here is a catalogue from a spa centre I found. They have a range of treatments for men," she said as she set the leaflets down on the table beside him. "You may wish to make your selection ahead of time. I think the Ultimate Relaxation Massage sounds good."

John picked up the paper Torren had selected. "You know you can have a massage in the city, right?"

"I know," she replied with that bright smile again, her eyes shining with enjoyment. "I am looking forward to the entire spa experience."

He sighed as he measured out how much paper he needed and cut it on the table, 'accidently' cutting off one corner of the ballet brochure. She lifted an eyebrow knowingly.

"There's the swimming pool in the lower levels, a swim can be relaxing, and it's got that Ancient filter system – no chemicals," he said temptingly.

"There's a specially scented pool in the spa with real flowers and fragrant steam," she replied.

"Why would you need flowers in a pool?" He asked as he began folding the paper around the bobble-headed Scotsman, its plaid kilt and plastic claymore sword disappearing under the smiling reindeer paper.

"It makes the water smell nice," she replied.

"That's if you end up at the spa, because as I see it there's still two and a half weeks to go," he pointed out. "Tape," he asked Torren as he held the reindeer paper closed.

"Jennifer bought Rodney his Christmas present today," she informed him proudly.

John began folding the ends of the paper. "And where is she going to be spending Christmas day?" He asked knowingly.

"She hasn't spent Christmas with her family for years. She does not wish to disappoint them and is looking forward to a family Christmas this year."

John smirked at her defensive tone. "A family Christmas without Rodney," he said.

"He will be with his sister," she argued.

"Seems to me that if they were solid they'd be visiting their families together," he stated. "Tape," he added to Torren.

"You seem very pleased at the prospect of Rodney ending his relationship," Teyla pushed.

John removed his thumb from under the new piece of tape and looked up at her. "Maybe I just don't want to end up at the ballet."

Her lips twitched at that.

"Of course I don't want Rodney to be unhappy this Christmas," he added as he folded up the last edge of Carson's present. "Tape."

He saw Teyla's smile as she watched Torren place the last piece of tape between John's fingers.

"Nice one, Torren," John said. Teyla reached out and straightened Torren's Santa hat with a smile. "He's got a good attention span," John told her. From his little knowledge of kids they didn't tend to stay focused on things for very long.

"Yes, when he turns his focus on something it stays there," Teyla replied with clear motherly affection as she stroked the back of Torren's head.

"Like his mother," John pointed out as he wrote Carson's name across the present in block capitals to disguise his writing. After a thought he added Carson's surname and then 'Dr' at the top. Happy with that he put the present with the rest. "Thank you for your help, Torren," John said to the boy.

Torren grinned up at him and clapped his hands gleefully.

"Thank you for watching him," Teyla said softly as she stroked her son's hair again.

"No problem, Teyla. He's good company."

She gave him a rather disbelieving.

"He is," he protested. "Just wait until I get him on a skateboard."

"Rodney tells me that only boys play on skateboards," she said teasingly.

John leant his elbow on his knee, leaning himself in her direction. "Girls can play too," he said with a smile.

Her lips shifted just a little towards a smile, but she straightened her expression. "Rodney also mentioned that Golf often ostracises women."

He knew what she was up to. "Not this golf course," he assured her as he rested his chin on his hand, his eyes on her.

"Still it hardly enamours me to the sport," she replied.

"Enamours?" He asked teasingly, liking the word from her, but he wasn't going to fall for that. "Trying to wriggle out of the bet, Teyla?" He challenged her, putting just a touch of emphasis on the word wriggle.

"No, I feel very confident that I will win," she replied. "Which is why you should read the brochures – to prepare yourself."

"There's still two weeks till Christmas," he told her and gave her one of his more charming smiles.

The rustling of paper finally became apparent and John looked round to see that Torren had been folding up the last of the wrapping paper. There were several pieces of tape plastered across them in his attempt to copy John's wrapping. Teyla chuckled as she reached for her son.

"Sorry, John," she said as she carefully tried to separate all the wrapping paper.

"Don't worry about it," John told her. "I've finished all the wrapping."

Torren complained unhappily as Teyla took the paper out of his hands. John reached out and jiggled the bell on the end of Torren's Santa hat to distract him. "Thanks little man. You can help me next year." Torren smiled, but it was clear that he was getting tired and he always got a little grumpy when playtime ended.

"Come on Torren, let's get to our room. You can have a bath and then a story before bed," Teyla said as she scooped Torren up. Torren grumbled as Teyla set him on her hip and stood up. "Thank you again, John."

John stood as well, as usual feeling disappointed when she left.

"Make sure you look through the brochures," she said casually as she headed away from him across his quarters. He glanced down at the brochures with a frown. "Good night, John," Teyla called from the doors, already disappearing through them.

"Night," he called before the doors shut behind her and Torren. Her quick exit was a little surprising – she normally liked to say a longer goodnight, but then what had he been expecting? A kiss goodnight?

He reached down for the ballet brochure and opened it. The first page displayed a colourful photo of a man in very tight tights leaping in the air. He frowned at it painfully.

The chimes rang again. Had she forgotten something? "Come in," he called, but after a pause nothing happened.

He put down the brochure and walked across the room. He waved his hand over the sensor and the doors slid open to reveal an empty corridor. He smiled as he looked down and sure enough there was a 'gift' left for him. No wonder she had left quickly, no doubt to hide her smile. He reached down and picked up the bag and stepped back into his room before he opened it.

Inside was a tough clear plastic pouch containing a series of small bottles and several nail files, along with a small book entitled 'The Ultimate Home Manicure'.

---------  
TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**Part**: 4/?

---------

The two weeks before Christmas had been hell for John. Someone high up in the IOA had decided that these two weeks would be the opportune time for the most important officials in the world to visit Atlantis. Something about making the trips disappear within the officials' Christmas vacations. What it meant for John was that he had been given a list of all the most powerful men and women in the world whose Governments knew of Gate and Atlantis and the lists of dates they would be visiting. Securing a base was hard enough during an Official visit, but when that base was an entire city it was another thing.

John had isolated whole areas of the city, to the complaints of many research teams and Rodney, and no one had been allowed to enter or leave the city in the week and a half of visits. He had not been popular at first, but when you were responsible for the safety of Presidents, Prime Ministers and other Elected Officials you had to look at the bigger picture. Consequently John hadn't spent much time with anyone other than Woolsey – who fortunately had handled all the meet and greet stuff. John had not enjoyed being on the frontline of such polite handshaking and political assessing, so he had stood back as much as he could into his role of the military controller of the city. All the various secret service types from each country had all eyeballed him and complained at the high levels of security around the city. Each visitor had only been allowed a small group of their own body guards in the city and all the transport had been handled by Jumpers. Again, John didn't care and since all of the visitors had arrived and left without any nasty accidents on his watch he was happy.

Happy that it was finally over and he could get back to life a little. But, somehow it was already Christmas Eve and he was probably one of the last to leave his station to head to the big Christmas party in the mess hall. He hurried his steps along the corridor, glad to hear the loud levels of talking through the open door ahead – the speeches hadn't started yet. He had wanted to finish up every report today so that he could properly relax and he was thoroughly looking forward to the next week when the city would be mostly empty and he could enjoy certain people's company.

He finally reached the open mess hall doorway and saw how crammed full it was. Though the city's population had drastically halved with all the research teams leaving the city yesterday, there was still most of the usual residents of the city still around. Most of them would be leaving later or tomorrow to get to their families, but for now everyone was gathering for the Christmas Eve celebration.

The room was full of smiling people and it looked like Matthews and Jenkins had been let loose on the room. Tinsel hung from any flat surface and there was a massive tree to one side, underneath which the piles of Secret Santa gifts were stacked. John held his gift close to his leg and headed straight for the tree. The light shone off the tree's decorations as he dipped down and slid Carson's present in amongst the others.

Happy he stood and properly looked around the room. The tables had all been pushed back against the walls and supported all the Christmas food spread out buffet style. John made his way over to the stack of proper china plates at one end of the tables and joined the line. As he selected finger food and a mince pie he glanced around the room, trying to find specific people in the mix. Happy nods and smiles were returned to him by the very familiar faces of the city. It was nice in a way to be back to the 'proper' residents of the city, made it feel like the old days in Pegasus. Though, admittedly they hadn't been able to have such a grand Christmas like this off Earth.

He finally spotted her sat down to one side of the room, with Torren where he was playing with some toys, Ronon and Amelia beside her. They were all tucking into their food and chatting away. John poured himself some mulled wine and headed their way.

"Hey," he greeted them.

"'Bout time," Ronon said in reply, his cheeks a little rosy John thought. "Where you been?"

"Last clean up on the official visits," John replied as he sipped some of the wine. The warm spicy taste glowed across his tongue and he swallowed with a murmur. "Not bad," he said.

"Carson made it," Amelia offered.

"Really?" John asked as he took another sip. "When did he get back in the city?" He asked as he pulled forward a spare chair and sat down next to Teyla.

"He just got in," Ronon replied. Carson had been working off world on helping to set up some new hospital on the SGC's new Gamma planet.

John glanced around the room before he finally looked at Teyla. "And where's Rodney?" He asked innocently.

"We haven't seen him yet," she replied. "Or Jennifer," she added. John nodded slowly, trying desperately to control his expression.

She had her hair tied back again, with pretty little clips holding back the tendrils of her hair that might have fallen free around her face. He smiled at her and it was clear to him that she was also anxiously waiting to find out which of them had won out over the other. He had really missed spending time with her these last two weeks.

"If I could have everyone's attention please?" Woolsey's voice called out and everyone fell silent as they all turned to where he stood in front of the large Christmas tree. "Thank you," Woolsey replied. John smiled at the Santa hat on his bald head – it appeared Woolsey had gotten in the mood. His cheeks looked a little bright. John wondered exactly how strong Carson had made the mulled wine.

"First off I would like to congratulate you all on surviving all the official visits we have had these past two weeks. Thank you for your patience and you will be glad to know that every one of the visitors were thoroughly impressed both with the city and with those stationed here. We have received cards and a few gifts from some of the officials and I have left them for everyone to see on the table over there."

Heads turned and John peered around Teyla to see the table indicated which held a good number of bottles, boxes and cards.

"Secondly, and more personally, I have to say it is nice to have the more familiar faces all together again," Woolsey continued and everyone murmured their agreement. "As enjoyable as it is to welcome new faces and specialists into the city, I welcome the opportunity for those of us who look forward to the day when we can return to Pegasus…" There was a loud cheer and clapping.

John glanced at Teyla to see her wide happy smile to hear the amount of support there was for the return to her home galaxy. He had the urge to reach out and touch her hand, but instead tightened his hand around his mulled wine.

"I'm glad that so many of you could stay with us for Christmas Eve, whether you celebrate the Christmas holiday yourself or not," Woolsey continued. "And whilst you are all here I would like to offer some direct Thank Yous from myself and from all of you. First off a big thank you to the catering staff for not only putting out a wonderful selection this evening, but for feeding us so well this year," Woolsey lifted his glass towards the head of catering who was closest to him. "To Michaels and all your team. Thank you." He glanced behind him and Chuck stepped forward with a massive basket of goodies. "This is a small thank you from all of us. It's not as good as your food, but we hope you enjoy it."

Michaels stepped forward to accept it on his staff's behalf and everyone clapped madly. Michaels made a show of how heavy the basket was and stood back again with a nod of thanks. John watched the others of the catering crew appear from the crowd to have a look at their presents in the basket.

"Next a special thank you to Head of Resources who has been working overboard this last month to help us all order what we want from the mainland and as always Rachel thank you for all your work." Chuck appeared with a huge bunch of flowers and a basket of what looked like fruit and some champers. Everyone clapped loudly for Rachel as she stepped forward and accepted her present.

"And for the wonderful Infirmary staff," Woolsey added as he indicated a table to one side with bunches of flowers and more boxes full of fruit and chocolates. "Help yourself and thank you for your wonderful work as always for keeping us all so healthy." John wondered if Woolsey had purposefully not addressed his thank you to Keller as representative of the Infirmary as she was still clearly absent from the party. John was desperately trying not to get too excited at the prospect of the golf game.

"And lastly to Colonel Sheppard," Woolsey called turning towards John. John almost jerked at the sudden attention. Teyla turned in her seat to look at him with a wide smile, as the others in the room all turned and smiled as well. "Who keeps us all safe and puts up with me everyday," Woolsey said and everyone clapped. Chuck appeared by Woolsey with a large box with a bright red bow on the front. John realised he was going to have to get up and get it. Teyla's hands were around his, taking his tray from him, but he kept the mulled wine as he stood and made his way over to Woolsey.

Everyone was clapping and someone whistled, it may have been Carson or Ronon John suspected. Woolsey extended his hand and John shook it and accepted the box from Chunk.

"We obviously couldn't find a Jumper," Woolsey said. John smiled down at the model kit of a chopper and held it up so everyone else could see. Everyone laughed and John nodded his thanks and headed quickly back towards his seat.

Torren stood up and as John sat down again, and the boy peered at the box. John showed him the front before setting the box down under his seat – after making sure it was properly sealed and childproof. Teyla handed him back his tray with a wide grin for him. He hadn't enjoyed the attention from the others, but he liked the smile she gave him.

"That leaves this speech almost over," Woolsey said and everyone laughed again. John peered around the crowd and spotted Carson near the mince pie table. Carson saw his attention and waved. John lifted his mulled wine and sniffed it suspiciously. Carson shrugged with a far too innocent expression.

"Christmas is ultimately about family," Woolsey continued. "We travel miles, sometimes right across the globe to see our family…"

"Or from another galaxy," someone shouted.

"Indeed," Woolsey replied with a smile. "Family is important and as far as I am concerned I see people around me who are like family to each other." The atmosphere of the room changed slightly and there were murmurs of agreement. "People can join the city from now onwards, but no one truly knows what it has been like for you all living and working in another galaxy. Far away from your family and facing dangers that most people on this planet will only ever dream exists. You have all stood on the frontline and faced whatever it was that the Wraith or any other dangers life has sent your way. You all make me proud and I don't care if you boil potatoes or fly a Jumper. All of you chose to face those dangers and to live so far from home. I think you are some of the bravest people I have ever met and I consider myself proud, honoured and humbled to work with you." He lifted his glass. "To family."

"To family," everyone chorused.

John lifted his glass and watched as those around him sipped their wine, their faces full of the pride and affection. Beside him he noticed Teyla wipe her eye. He leant closer and nudged her with his elbow. She looked round with a shy glare and sipped her wine some more.

"To family," Ronon said quietly again and John looked up at him to see him still holding out his glass. He waited for John and Teyla to lift their glasses as well and they all smiled and drank their wine.

"Happy holidays everyone," Woolsey called. "Help yourself to food, drink and remember to collect your gift from under the tree."

The room was filled with cheerful voices again and the party mood returned. John turned his attention to his dinner, sharing pieces with Torren who stood by John's knee watching attentively.

Teyla's hand dropped onto John's arm. "Can you watch Torren for me? I am going to go talk with Piotr for a moment." John looked up from a bacon wrapped sausage and narrowed his eyes at her.

"Sure," he said.

"Thank you," she replied with a smug smile in return. She stood up and walked off into the crowd and John angled his head to see her finally reach the pale Piotr. John watched them for a moment before Carson sat down on Teyla's vacated chair cutting off his view. Torren giggled and moved from leaning on John's knee to Carson's.

"Hullo, Little Man," Carson greeted Torren as he reached down and picked the boy up for a hug. "Where's Rodney then?" Carson asked as he set Torren on his knee and bounced him. Torren laughed and tried to help himself to some of Carson's mince pie.

"Don't know," John replied as he finished his finger food and turned to his own mince pie. "You know Katie Brown's been back in the city?" John asked him.

"No, really?" Carson asked clearly enjoying the gossip. "What happened?"

"Nothing that we know of," John answered him carefully.

"I saw Katie leaving his quarters yesterday," Amelia said quietly from where she sat opposite them. John looked round at her, aware that Ronon had disappeared somewhere.

"Really?" John asked feeling very hopeful, but oddly surprised.

"What time was this?" Carson asked her.

"It was about ten in the morning, so it may have been totally innocent," Amelia added.

"I thought he was over Katie Brown," Carson commented.

"He looked pretty pleased to see her when she turned up in the city," John remarked as he finished off the mince pie.

"What did Jennifer say?"

"Not much until Rodney put his foot in his mouth," John replied.

"So, normal Rodney behaviour then," Carson pointed out.

John grinned as he set his tray aside and cradled his glass in his hands. "I think it got him a little philosophical," John informed Carson.

Carson looked surprised. "How unlike him."

"Melie," Ronon called from nearby and Amelia turned towards him, her face bright. "You want your gift?" Ronon asked her suggestively as he nodded his head towards the Christmas tree.

"Melie?" John asked Amelia as she stood, and she blushed.

"I will see you two later," she said with a smile as she headed towards Ronon.

"I doubt that," John muttered just loud enough for her and perhaps Ronon to hear. They disappeared into the crowd.

"Those two are still happy then?" Carson commented as he finally gave in and let Torren finish off his mince pie. "How much can this boy eat?"

John smiled down at Torren. "It's Christmas and he's a growing boy," John replied. Torren seemed to be getting taller each time John saw him, but them he hadn't spent much time with him over the last two weeks. But Teyla only fed him good healthy food so there would be no chance of him putting on too much weight.

"I can't believe how big he's gotten," Carson added. "It seems only yesterday that he was this tiny little thing in Teyla's arms who wouldn't sleep unless she walked all the hallways of the city."

John made a sound of agreement as he looked at the boy. He remembered holding Torren when he had been less than an hour old, wrapped up in Rodney's jacket. He had been so tiny and John had been so nervous holding him in that Wraith Dart. The trust Teyla had placed in him to take her son had stunned him when he had thought back to it. And what if something had happened in the dematerialisation process? What would have happened to Torren if Teyla and Kanaan had been lost? John liked to think that he would have been able to bring up the boy himself, especially now he spent so much time with him, but would that have been possible? Could he have passed Teyla's son over to the Athosians? Could he really have given away that responsibility he would have felt, still felt, towards a child of Teyla's even if she had had the child with another man.

Torren reached towards John, perhaps having picked up on his mood and John reached for him. He had missed spending so much time with Torren these past weeks and he enjoyed the boy's weight as he hugged him. Torren snuggled into his customary place on John's lap and John put his arm around him happily. He was sure he wouldn't have been able to just give up his only link to Teyla if she had been lost, and besides Torren would have needed to be protected from Michael's return.

John looked up from Torren to the crowd, looking for Teyla again. He saw Piotr among the talking and laughing room, but Teyla wasn't with him anymore. John kept looking, only for her to step through the crowd towards him and Carson. She held up two presents towards them. John obviously recognised the one Carson had been handed.

"Your Secret Santa gifts," she announced as they took them from her.

"Thanks, Teyla," John said as he smiled up at her. "Seen Rodney yet?" He asked.

She pretended to look round the room. "I have not seen him as yet, but do not worry as soon as I do I will let you know," she replied with a wide smile.

Torren was reaching for John's present, eager to help unwrap it. Clearly Torren had been given some himself as there were new toys around the floor at John's feet and a pile of torn wrapping paper. John held his present as Torren tried vainly, yet eagerly, to tear the paper open. John turned his attention back to Teyla.

"You know something I don't?" He asked suspiciously.

She shook her head. "No, I am sure he was just held up with his work. You know how he can be," she replied.

"You'd think with all the free food he would have been first here," Carson said.

"He'll do the clean up afterwards," John added and Carson laughed.

John turned back to Teyla. She was leaning down towards him and Carson still, her top hanging open just that little bit which made the view all the more enjoyable. "Are you happy to watch Torren still?" She asked more seriously.

"Sure," John replied. "I've missed my time with him lately."

Teyla's smile was soft and wide, and it made his heart skip just a little bit. "If you are sure."

"Go mingle," he told her with a smile of his own.

"Very well," she replied, her eyes sparkling. "I will go finish my discussion with Piotr about what I should wear."

John didn't get a chance to return a witty comeback as she turned quickly purposefully walking away before he could. He shook his head at her. He was going to miss this bet when it was over…

"What was that about?" Carson asked from John's left.

John glanced at him with a controlled smile. "Piotr's a friend of hers, been telling her all about his visit to the ballet in San Francisco."

"That's not what I meant," Carson replied quickly with a suspicious look in his eyes. John had been used to being around Ronon, Amelia and Rodney and Keller lately – who had all been far too wrapped up in their own relationship interests, and that had allowed John and Teyla to cryptically discuss the bet without them realising. Carson was far more observant.

"Nothing," John replied not wanting to reveal anything about the bet to anyone else. And if he lost the bet then no one would ever have to know about the spa and ballet trip. "We've just been worried about Rodney."

Carson smiled. "I didn't mean that either. What's going on with you and Teyla?" He asked.

John could have tried to play dumb, but Carson's tone made it clear that the playfulness between him and Teyla had been obvious, or at least to a friend like Carson. John felt a little exposed, but also a little thrilled to think that a second opinion on Teyla's behaviour towards him lately was interesting.

"What do you mean?" John asked as he looked down to Torren's continuing vain attentions to open the present which were getting rather frustrated. John tore into the paper, straight through his name in block capitals – clearly a man's writing.

"You could have made it a little less obvious that you weren't looking down her top," Carson said. John looked up sharply.

"Did I?" He asked worriedly.

"No, but you have now," Carson replied with a wicked smile.

John shook his head at himself – oldest trick in the book. He helped Torren pull the last of the paper from his present and let Torren keep the paper to play with. The present was a gadget that made various noises such as explosions and gunfire. John smiled as he opened the box and pulled it out of its plastic wrapping.

"We've been spending more time together lately, that's all," John replied.

"Really?" Carson asked. "I heard that she broke up with Kanaan a few months ago. And connection there?"

John shrugged and shook his head. "I wouldn't know." He put the supplied batteries into the gadget and closed the cover. He pressed the first button and rapid machine gunfire burst out of the little speaker. Torren forgot the wrapping paper he had been tearing up into tiny pieces and instead reached gleefully for the new toy. John pressed the next button which sounded like tires screeching on tarmac, and the next was a nice explosive sound. Torren giggled and began pressing buttons.

"Okay, if you don't want to talk about it," Carson said sounding a little disappointed. He reached in and pressed a button on the gadget which sounded like a monkey, followed by another type of gunfire.

John looked up at his friend. "To be honest I'm not sure what's going on, but we're enjoying each other's company."

Carson nodded as he turned his attention to his present and tore it open. "That's hardly been a problem for you two," Carson said as he lifted his present and shook it, smiling at the bobbleheaded Scotsman inside the box. John pretended to look surprised at the gift.

"We didn't get on quite so well last year," John found himself confessing.

Carson glanced at him. The gadgets sounds stopped as Torren grew bored and snuggled further into John's arm as he turned his attention to playing with the gadget's box instead. John tucked the plastic wrap from it and the batteries in a pocket away from the kid.

"Kanaan's clearly out of the picture now, though," Carson pointed out. John didn't hide his surprise at Carson's insight.

"She hid her pregnancy from me, from all of us. It put her and Torren in danger," John argued yet again.

Carson nodded, but gave him a look that said he didn't think it had been that clear cut.

John sighed and looked down at Torren and pulled the box corner out of his mouth.

"You going to let her go again?" Carson asked surprising him.

John glanced over to where Teyla was talking with Amelia. "That depends if she's really that interested," he confessed.

"You won't know unless you try," Carson pointed out obviously as he pressed the monkey noise on the gadget again.

John pulled his eyes from Teyla, telling himself he needed to be more subtle with his staring. Carson was right of course and the upcoming bet resolution would no doubt present the opportunity for him to really push the flirting a bit and find out if it was just harmless fun she had been enjoying with a friend, or if there could be something more.

"You'll keep this to yourself?" John asked Carson.

"Of course, John," Carson replied. He looked away to the crowd and mumbled something that had sounded rather like 'would have to be blind not to see it'. John glared at the man's turned head. "Here's Rodney," Carson announced.

John leant around him to see Rodney appear with a plate piled high with food, one hand already cramming a roast potato into his mouth.

"Hey Carson," Rodney said around the potato. Carson stood up and the two shared a manly hug, around Rodney's plate.

"Can you fit anything more on that plate, Rodney?" Carson protested, pretending to check the front of his shirt for any food.

Rodney ignored the jibe. "Did I miss the speeches?"

"Yes, there's a basket of fruit and cookies on the side for you and Zelenka to share," Carson informed him.

"Oh, great," Rodney replied eagerly.

Ronon and Teyla had appeared through the crowd to greet Rodney and behind them John spied Keller, with her own full plate of food. It looked like she had joined the party at the same time as Rodney.

"You're late," Ronon told Rodney.

"I was busy," Rodney replied as he turned his attention down to his plate, clearly hiding his expression. John glanced at Teyla to see that she was frowning at Rodney slightly, apparently trying to assess him as well. John was filled with a strong mix of anticipation and nervousness. Which was stupid because whoever won he would still get to spend some time alone with Teyla away from the city.

"I had to rearrange my flight plans," Rodney added once his mouth was briefly empty.

Keller had moved around Teyla and Ronon and now stood beside him. "Yes, Rodney's going to be joining me to visit my folks."

John's heart dropped and he closed his eyes in a moment of denial and opened them to see Teyla looking at him, her tongue clearly in her cheek as she tried weakly to control her massive victorious grin.

Crap.

Rodney and the others were completely unaware of John's male ego screaming in agony as the man wrapped his arm around Keller. "Then we're going to head over to my sisters for the end of the week."

"Won't you have trouble getting a flight at this late notice?" John vainly tried to argue, as if that would make a difference.

"We've booked a private flight. What's the point of so much hazard pay if you can't splash out for Christmas?"

"That's very generous of you Rodney," Carson remarked as John focused his attention down on Torren, pressing all the noisy buttons on the gadget as much he could along with the boy. He wished he knew who had given him the gift, because he really wanted to thank them for giving him such a good avenue of expressing himself right now.

He purposefully didn't look at Teyla again for the next hour or so, but he could feel her smiles on him and when the evening did finally start to draw to a close, and she found him to say good night before she took Torren off to bed, he met her victorious eyes finally.

"Good night, John," she said softly. "If you have any trouble getting to sleep tonight, do not forget you have those brochures to read through."

He didn't have a witty comeback for that, and could only purse his lips and glare at her as she turned and left with that huge grin on her face.

--------  
TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**Part**: 5/?

---------

He hadn't been sulking as he got up for the early morning shift on Christmas Day that he had volunteered to do. He hadn't been sulking as he had walked his way round the city exchanging Christmas wishes with anyone about, which wasn't that many. Most of the city not on duty was off with families or enjoying some well earned vacation time. The city felt very empty around him, but the patrol through the mainly empty hallways allowed him to continue not to sulk until breakfast. He ordered breakfast to Woolsey's office where he sat for the morning. The Gate room was silent, as it usually was of late, and there were only two people on duty in the control room. They wore Christmas hats and had Christmas music piped out through a laptop. John didn't mind and besides it was nice to know that everyone really could relax this year. They were stationed on Earth and the chances of something happening were greatly reduced. Therefore, Atlantis' atmosphere was relaxed and cheerful.

It was about eight am when Rodney dropped by to say goodbye. The guy's clear cheerfulness made John feel bad about being so stroppy about losing. He had actually exchanged a manly hug with Rodney before wishing him a happy Christmas and New Year since he and Keller wouldn't return until after the new year arrived. John wished him well and hurried him out of the office to go catch his Jumper ride to the airport where the private jet would carry him and Keller to whichever state it was her father lived. John had returned to his, Woolsey's, desk and had begun to get over his annoyance at losing.

Okay so he would be forced into a spa treatment. He had grumpily looked through the brochure last night and saw that Teyla had been right that there were plenty of treatments geared towards men. He could live through that, as long as nothing got plucked or waxed, and then he could live through a ballet performance if he had to.

With that acquiescence he had turned to his laptop connecting it up to the Internet, which the city had picked up immediately upon reaching Earth, much to the scientists' concerns. John confirmed his payment on the ballet tickets and then had browsed through local spas in San Francisco and booked them in for an afternoon treatment before the ballet. He had lived in San Francisco occasionally throughout his career, keeping an apartment there for a short time whilst he had been stationed abroad. So, he vaguely knew the city and ideas began to form.

He thought they could make a proper break out of the visit and could stay over night in the city, so they would need somewhere to stay. He browsed hotels in the centre of the San Francisco and emailed a few, shamelessly using his military title and email address to ask if there would be any space after the weekend. Two replies came back very promptly, suggesting whoever was on duty there was bored, and he had been lucky that one of the top hotels had had a late cancellation. He booked two rooms for the night of the ballet and as he did an email arrived from Dave, wishing him a happy Christmas. He thanked John for the presents and told him that next year John would have to take some time off work to visit. John emailed back, saying that he would try and how boring it was to be working today anyway. John had been planning to visit his brother, hopefully on his way to the golf course, but that was not going to happen now. Now, he was going to have to watch ballet.

A gentle knock on the doorframe made him look up to find Teyla in the doorway with Torren in her arms. "Happy Christmas Day," she said with an amused smile that had a touch of apology to it.

"Merry Christmas," he replied smiling at her and her son, both dressed brightly with Santa hats in place.

She smiled wider, clearly pleased that he wasn't too upset with her. "We thought we would invite you to the party in the mess hall," she offered.

"Party?" He asked.

"There are a few of us down there. There is Christmas food and Carson made some more of his mulled wine. Would you like to join us?" She asked with a soft inviting smile. He didn't like the idea of her thinking he was unhappy with her. "I noticed that there are a couple of presents under the tree for you," she added.

"Presents? For me?" He asked surprised. He had already given out a few presents to Rodney and Ronon privately, but there was still the two for Torren and one for her he hadn't given her yet. It appeared he wasn't the only one who hadn't wanted to be limited by the Secret Santa.

"Yes. It is so quiet up here, come and join us, John," she asked. She tilted her head back towards the carols playing in the control room. "Marcus told me he would contact you instantly if you were needed."

He thought about it for a second. "Sounds good," he replied as he shut down his laptop. "I'll have to go by my quarters on the way," he added as he stood up and headed towards her.

Torren grinned up at him as John neared her and her assessing look. "You have forgiven me for winning?" She asked with a smile.

"Any chance you'll miss out the ballet part?" He asked hopefully.

She thought about it and he already knew she wouldn't. Her smile broke across her face again. "There is no chance. I am really looking forward to it."

They headed along the bridge from Woolsey's office. "How about the spa part?"

"No," she replied. They nodded to the two on duty in the control room. John was pretty sure once he was gone they would literally put their feet up and turn up the music. He didn't mind. He followed Teyla out of the room, their boots echoing louder than normal across the empty Gate Room landing.

"How about if you have the spa treatment and I meet up with you later?" He suggested once they were far enough away from the control room not to be overheard.

She chuckled in response. "Part of winning a bet is to make the loser do something they do not wish to," she pointed out. "Such as play golf."

He couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Fine, you win."

"Thank you, John. I thought Rodney and Jennifer seemed very happy when they left, did they not?" She pushed.

"We'll see if it lasts," he replied.

"For now that does not matter. For now I have won and I believe a spa treatment will do you some good."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked playfully as they made their way through the corridors towards his quarters.

"I think some time away from the city will be good for you – you work very hard." He was oddly touched at the comment. "And something to relax you will help as well in my opinion."

"I'm relaxed," he argued. She glanced at him and gave him what looked like a doubtful smile.

They had reached his quarters and, once he had collected his bag of gifts, they headed on to the mess hall.

There were about twenty people in the mess hall, some eating the Christmas food set to one side, and others sat around the base of the large tree, its lights sparkling red, green and gold. Cheerful Christmas style music was playing from someone's player across the room and the room had a nice relaxed atmosphere. John's eyes were immediately drawn to the two small presents waiting under the tree, and beside them sat Carson who was playing with a train set.

"Who got the train set for Torren?" John asked. "Or was it for Carson?" He joked as he reached the doctor, who glared up at him.

"You'll want a go later," Carson objected. He was right, but John wasn't going to say it yet.

Teyla sat down on a plush cushion in centre of what was clearly the mass of Torren's presents. It pleased John to see that so many people had wanted to buy the boy something. John sat down by the tree near them and dug out the two presents he had for Torren from his bag.

"Happy Christmas, Torren," John said as he handed the presents over to Torren. The boy's eyes widened and he struggled from his mother's arms to reach for them.

"Say thank you, Torren," Teyla instructed.

"T'ank 'ou," Torren muttered as he got into ripping into the paper.

John pulled the last present out of his bag, one for Teyla, and he felt a little self conscious in front of everyone to hand it to her, but everyone was lost in their own discussions or into the Christmas lunch that was already set out. It smelt good. He held out the small present to Teyla. "And for you."

She smiled as she reached for it. "Thank you, John. You did not have to, considering everything else," she added clearly meaning their spa and ballet bookings to follow. He only smiled. She nodded towards the tree. "Do not forget your gifts."

A burst of excitement went through John to know he had some presents to unwrap today. He knew there would be one on the way from Dave, once it got through the military to him, and both Ronon and Rodney had already given him gifts. A small hand weapon from Ronon, and a special adapter for his mp3 player from Rodney. Apparently it would expand the player's memory ten fold and would connect with the city's database, so he could play his music through the city's speakers in his quarters.

He looked at the card on the first present, which clearly Torren had helped to wrap, and it said it was from Torren. John grinned as he tore the paper away to reveal a full set of paints and a small easel. He smiled over at Teyla where she sat watching both him and Torren as they revealed their gifts, her own unopened on her lap. Torren had gotten his present open, a big box of building blocks, so John turned to his gift from Teyla.

The wrapping paper was delicately folded around this gift, so clearly Torren hadn't helped with this wrapping. John tore the paper away carefully, curious and strangely anxious to know what she had given him, knowing that she was watching him, her own gift still untouched.

The last of the paper came away to reveal the smooth lines of a wooden box, the edges curved and warm under his hands. He turned it to find that on the top the image of a pilot's wings had been carved into the wood. He ran his fingers over the delicate precise detailed work and glanced at Teyla. "Did you do this?" He asked, the lines of the carving under his fingertips.

"It is a skill I have not used in a long time, but your talk of artistic abilities reminded me to practice once again," she replied. "I thought you could put keepsakes in it."

He glanced back down at his gift and opened the box to see that she had added the first keepsake - a photo of him and the guys all sat around on the floor with Torren. He smiled at the picture, remembering Torren's first birthday when they had all sat round trying to work out how to put the tricycle together properly. It was a nice picture of them all and clearly Teyla liked it. He looked back at her. "Thanks, Teyla." She smiled back, clearly happy that he liked it. How could he not?

Torren had unwrapped his second gift, which was a tiny set of drums. Teyla frowned down at them and then over at John. He gave her an innocent look in return that said – you're making me go to a spa and ballet, so I have no sympathy. Carson handed Torren the small drumsticks and Teyla rolled her eyes with a smile. Then finally she turned her attention to opening her gift from John. He watched her a little nervously – it was a small thing, but her gift had been so personal, he hoped his present was good enough.

She pulled the paper away and opened the small box within to reveal the bracelet inside. John kept his eyes on her face and was rewarded with her bright shocked smile. "Thank you, John," she said as pulled the silver bracelet out of its nest of silk. The bracelet was simple and delicate, comprised of two threads of silver links wound around each other with two tasteful little charms hanging from each side. One of a bird and the other a butterfly. "It is beautiful," she whispered and began to undo the clasp to put it around her wrist.

"Here, let me help," Carson offered. He secured it around her wrist for her and John didn't miss the guy's subtle glance at him.

Teyla admired the bracelet where it hung around her wrist, the silver a lovely contrast against her golden skin. "Thank you, John," she said again and she rose up on her knees leant towards him and pressed a very quick kiss to his cheek. It was over before he had realised what she had intended, her lips a brief touch of warmth against his skin before she was gone. He managed to touch his hand to her back in reply as they parted.

"I'm glad you like it, and thanks for my present," he added as she settled back on her cushion her eyes on the bracelet once again. John noticed Carson's little smile as he turned to Torren and his drum set. John turned back to the warm box in his hands, the sharp lines of the carving in its lid accurately reflecting the metal wings pinned to his chest.

The rest of Christmas day went well, all of them enjoying the food, the company and Torren's toys. A small castle had been constructed out of the blocks, the train set around it with its two passengers of action figures balanced on the top of a carriage. The food had been good, also enjoyed by the others in the city who had materialised at lunch time and then returned for dinner. But John remained in the mess hall, never once called with any duty work and once Woolsey returned to the city John was officially off duty for Christmas. So, he had eaten far too much, laughed a lot, and had been highly amused at watching grown adults argue over playing with kids toys.

The day passed quickly and as the darkness thickened outside the large mess hall windows the others had all left to duties or back to their quarters. Ronon and Carson remained in the hall's doorway, engaged in a re-match with Rodney and John's remote control cars. There had been races earlier, which John had won, possibly due to a slight cheating matter, but it had all been fun. The buzz of the cars' motors as they flew down the hallway outside was a sound that John realised he associated with Christmas. Almost every year as a kid he had asked for some remote controlled toy – cars, jeeps, planes and even a chopper. He had Dave had always ended up competing in races, it was practically a tradition from their childhood.

He wondered what his brother was up to today stuck with their cousins and family friends – it was probably just as much a business meeting as it would be a real Christmas. John much preferred being here.

He sighed happily with that thought and settled a little further back into the plush support of the Ancient chair set near the Christmas tree, its lights even brighter in the subdued lighting of the evening. He glanced from the sparkling lights to the moonlight outside and over to his friends bickering joyfully in the doorway. From them he glanced at the chair beside him in which Teyla sat, with Torren snuggled up against her side where he had fallen asleep an hour or so ago. The high armrests of the chairs provided plenty of support around the boy's back and he was clearly fast asleep.

"It has been a wonderful day," Teyla remarked softly.

John nodded as he set his cup of especially good dark coffee down on the high arm rest around his left hand side. "It sure has," he replied. Her arm closest to him, lying along the armrest of her chair, displayed the bracelet he had given her. He had noticed she had been touching it a lot today, perhaps unfamiliar with its weight. "You happy with your bracelet?" He asked. "If you need it tightened Jenkins will do it for you, he used to make watches and jewellery apparently."

She reached across her body and over Torren to touch the bracket and she twisted the bracelet around her wrist once again. "It fits perfectly, thank you. I am very happy with it just the way it is." He watched her fingers turn the bracelet, pleased she liked it so much.

He glanced back at their friends in the doorway, who were once again focused down the hallway outside where the buzz of motors rang out. John was certain they couldn't hear him from there, besides they were too distracted to care. So, he glanced back to Teyla to finally address the subject of the bet.

"So, since you won the bet, I thought we should make a day out of your winnings." Her smile was bright in the half light of the evening lighting. "I've booked us in at a spa and at the ballet for Monday. It'll be easier if we stay in San Francisco that night and head back here Tuesday." He told her as he lifted his coffee cup to his lips and sipped the sweet dark brew again.

"I am looking forward to it," she replied with anticipation. "Where will we be staying?"

"I've booked two rooms in the city. Looks a nice place," he added.

"Thank you, John."

He made a show of sighing heavily. "I still think an afternoon of shopping could be better."

She laughed lightly and her hand dropped onto his bare forearm. "This is will fun, John. We will get away from Atlantis for a day, relax and enjoy a lovely evening of culture."

He wasn't sure if it was her touch or the clear exuberance she displayed at the prospect of the visit, but he began to look forward to it as well. She really wanted to enjoy these Earth experiences, and who was he to stop her? That she wanted to share them with him was something to be pleased about, not sullen. She could have just taken the tickets and gone to the ballet with Piotr. Sure, she may have wanted to torture John a bit, but it was clear that she wanted him to enjoy himself as well. Well, he couldn't really see himself getting all that excited about a spa and ballet, but the prospect of a whole day alone with Teyla…he liked that. It would be just the two of them, essentially going out together. There wouldn't be a more opportune time to find out what there was between them.

"It will be fun," she said again and her hand tightened around his forearm slightly. "You will see," she added before her hand left his arm.

He sipped the last of his coffee as Ronon and Carson argued loudly – someone had used John's cheating method. John smiled as one car burst back through the door and spun around Carson's feet.

He glanced back at Teyla and saw that she was gently turning her bracelet around her wrist again, the light glittering off the shine of silver. He wondered if he could ask her to wear it to the ballet.

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TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**Part**: 6/?

**Note:** Thinking about maybe upping the rating some point in the future, but it certainly won't be for a chapter or two if I do.

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John had seemed in a relaxed enough mood on the Jumper trip from the Ancient city of Atlantis to the modern city of San Francisco, but once they had piled into the minivan along with the sales enthusiasts he hadn't looked quite as relaxed.

She tried not to smile too much. She was really looking forward to the day. Since their appointments at the spa were booked for the afternoon they had at first visited their lodgings, or hotel as John referred to it. The building had been very impressive with its wide entrance and bright shining tall front. She had stood outside the door of their cab and stared up at the glass fronted high building. She had not expected John to have found them somewhere so…extravagant to stay, but he assured her that most hotels were this way.

She had been amazed at the internal decoration of the hotel. Though Atlantis was a magnificent city it had been essentially left empty by the Ancients, whereas in the hotel every surface supported a vase or pot filled with flowers. Every panel on every wall and across the ceiling was decorated with some design or with alternating colours. Every surface gleamed as if they were polished twice a day, every day. Perhaps they were, since those who worked there seemed highly efficient and polite.

Even the inside of the elevator was highly decorated and her room had its own sofa, table, desk and flat screen television which John pointed out to her especially. Apparently it received many different types of signals or something – she would look into it further later. They had left their bags in their rooms, John's being just down the hallway from hers, and then they had eaten a light lunch in the hotel's restaurant. She had never seen so many tables set out in one room before. Each one was covered with a crisp clean white cloth and light gleamed off the wide assortment of utensils set in front of each seat. Even the backs of the chairs had their own special covers. She had tried not to stare at everything, but it was so new and interesting.

The menu was full of an amazing assortment of foods, all much more complicated than those she had eaten in the small restaurants on Earth before. John had translated what a lot of it meant and they agreed that everything could be described much more simply, but John said it was how it was done in hotels. She had ordered a special type of sandwich with a side order of salad, and it had tasted wonderful. They ate companionably together and as she finished off the last of her food, she settled more comfortably in her seat.

She had printed off the catalogue of treatments available in the spa they were visiting today from John's computer this morning. She laid the papers out on the table beside her, mostly to torment John. He seemed more relaxed about it, perhaps he had gotten used to the idea, but as he started checking his watch regularly, she decided he was simply looking to get it over with.

"I think you should have one of the facials," she said as she pointed to the description on the paper.

He wiped his mouth as he finished his own sandwich and set the napkin aside. "For the last time, Teyla - no facials." She smiled at him.

"Yes, I remember – and no waxing." She had not argued that stipulation he had set as John seemed to be a man who looked after himself well anyway and besides she liked the touch of chest hair she could just see through the open two buttons of the nice shirt he was wearing today. She was thoroughly looking forward to the spa and the ballet, but she was already enjoying herself with him. Everything was new and exciting and she was sharing it with John.

The waitress appeared at the table again and asked if they wanted anything more to eat. They assured her they wouldn't and she went away with a smile, which was a touch deeper as she smiled at John. In fact Teyla had noticed that quite a lot of women had been looking at him today. It was no secret to anyone that John was a handsome man, but Teyla was used to all the women in Atlantis being used to him. In this city he was a new face and he drew a lot of attention. Teyla glanced at him as he checked his watch again. He was looking particularly handsome today, in his nice shirt with a dark jacket over the top. The trousers he wore looked comfortably worn and they fitted him very well.

She blinked back down to her spa list. Being away from the city, alone with him, seemed to be intensifying her attraction to him. She wondered belatedly if this had been a smart move on her part to ask to spend so much time alone with him, forcing him to join her in these activities. She looked back at him and saw he had his elbow set on the table with a forced glum look on his face, his cheek supported against his fist. She smiled at him – no this was far too enjoyable. He was clearly not looking forward to the spa trip, but his eyes were on the list in front of her now. She glanced at her own watch and saw that they still had half an hour till they had to be at the spa.

"So," she said to him as she turned the list further in his direction. "I think you should definitely have a massage – it will be good for you." He gave a half nod. "And look they do a hot towel shave. Very good for your skin apparently and it results in a very close shave." He gave her an amused tolerating look and she smiled as she could not help but add "And perhaps a manicure?" She noticed that in this light that there was very little green to his eyes, instead the dark centres were very wide and dark.

"What are you having done?" He asked, not rising to her baiting this time.

She glanced down at the list and set her own chin in her hand, her elbow on the table mirroring his position. "I would like a massage as well. The steam room perhaps before hand, it is supposed to relax your muscles first. I may get a manicure and pedicure," she considered and looked up at his dark eyes again. "How much can I have?"

"Have whatever you want," he replied immediately. "You won the bet."

She glanced down at the list. She didn't want to have too much as John was the one spending his money on it, though she intended to pay him back her part later, once she had enjoyed the glory of her victory.

"They do that package deal," he said pointing to the bottom of the list.

She smiled as she looked at the package he indicated. "So you have read it," she commented.

"I couldn't get to sleep last night," he replied. She glanced back at him and thought he may be leaning a little closer than before. His eyes dropped back down to the list between them.

He seemed willing so she decided to have the package deal which would include a manicure, pedicure, facial followed with a back massage with steam room before that.

"Sounds good, let's get going," he announced as he stood up from the table.

She gathered the list and put it into the small bag she had brought with her. She had a mobile phone from Atlantis in case of emergencies, along with some money, her identification the IOA had supplied her with and finally the keycard to her hotel room. She checked they were all in there as she stood as well. "Are you in a hurry to get this over with perhaps?" She asked suspiciously.

"We don't want to be late and we'll need to catch a cab," he replied as he lifted her coat that he had removed from the back of her chair for her. He held the coat open so that she could simply slip into it as he held it. She smiled at the gesture and let him help her into it.

Outside they caught a cab very quickly and she climbed inside enjoying the display of the driver's cultural items set on the front dashboard. The sky was very clear and bright through the vehicle's windows, and the sunlight sparkled off the cars and buildings that they passed along the streets. She watched the passing buildings and people through her window, taking in the mix of people and clothing styles that fascinated her so much about Earth. John was silent beside her and she glanced round at him. He had put his dark sunglasses on again to shield his eyes, but his eyebrows were so expressive she could easily tell his mood. She reached over and laid her hand on his arm.

"It will all be over very soon," she assured him with a smile.

He let out an amused breath, but before he could say anything back the cab slowed and pulled up to the curb. They had arrived it seemed already. John got out his side and she slid across the seat to follow him out into the cool air. The spa's entrance stood before them and already she could smell the scent of oils and fresh pure water in the air. She drew it all in with a deep breath as they walked into the spa's entrance

A beautiful and cheerful young woman stood up to greet them from behind a tall desk. "Good afternoon, would you be Mr Sheppard and Ms Emmagan?" She asked after only briefly glancing at the computer screen in front of her.

"That's us," John replied as he pulled off his glasses.

Teyla noticed the woman's eyes widen a little as she got a good look at John, but she controlled her ogling very well Teyla thought.

"If you could both just fill in these basic health forms beforehand and I will let your personal assistants know that you are here." She handed over two clipboards and Teyla took the offered pen and leant on the high desk to complete the form. Her grasp of John's written language was good, but there were a few words she had to ask him to explain.

"Good afternoon," a new female voice announced from Teyla's left. "My name is Emma, and I am here to see you through your spa experience today Ms Emmagan," she said very cheerfully.

"I am pleased to meet you Emma," Teyla replied as she shook the offered hand. It was clear to her from the strength of Emma's hand that she was a masseuse. "I am very much looking forward to it.

"We will do all we can to make sure you have a restful and rejuvenating experience with us today. If you would like to follow me I shall take you through to your room," Emma invited her.

Teyla glanced back at John who looked properly amused now. "Enjoy," he said. Teyla narrowed her eyes at him and turned to the helpful receptionist.

"Please make sure that he actually goes in for his treatment. Do not let him escape."

The woman laughed with real emotion in place of the rather false cheerfulness from before.

"Don't worry I will take care of Mr Sheppard for you," a male voice said from behind John. "My name is Neil, I will be your assistant today Mr Sheppard."

Teyla took in the widely built strong man who would be looking after John and she smiled. John looked back at her with a slightly accusing glare, though the amusement was still shimmering beneath it.

"Enjoy," she said cheerfully to him before she turned to follow Emma to her private room. She glanced back at John to see him give her a resentful look before he turned to Neil.

-------

"Military man?" Neil asked as John sat down in his own private room, which consisted of a small room with a wide massage couch in the centre, and opposite that an entire wall was covered in shelving, which contained more bottles and towels than John had ever seen in one place. The room didn't have that girly flowery smell though, so John relaxed a little as he pulled off his jacket.

"I'm a Colonel," John responded.

Neil looked at him with what looked like a knowing eye. "Army?"

"Airforce," John replied wondering what it was the guy thought he saw about John that would imply that.

Neil frowned at him again. "But you see a lot of action right?"

John hadn't seen any proper action for a good couple of months now, but keeping up with Ronon's exercise programme and Teyla's sparring kept up his fitness. "A bit," John replied carefully.

Neil smiled though at that. "Pilot?" He asked.

"Yeah," John answered with a questioning look.

"You Flyboys are usually in better shape than most, of course not as much as marines."

John grinned at him. "Marine?"

"Used to be," Neil replied. "Until I got injured two years ago."

"Where were you stationed?" John asked feeling a bit better with this guy.

"I worked where I was needed," Neil replied. That really caught John's attention – a comment like that could mean many things, but he understood the man's discretion.

"Where you stationed?" Neil asked.

"Where I'm needed," John replied and Neil grinned back.

"Okay, so you've been forced into this by the Mrs?" Neil guessed.

"Forced, but she's not my Mrs," John said with a smile. "I lost a bet."

"Ah, well as consequences go this isn't too bad."

"She's making me take her to the ballet later as well," John told him.

"Ouch," Neil said. "Which means you're looking to make her a future Mrs, to go through that."

"Let's just get on with the torture, okay?"

Neil laughed at that. "Yep, deny it all you want. So, how about we get you in the steam room for a bit, then I'll give you a full massage, work deep into those muscles. It's probably going to hurt at first."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better."

Neil chuckled, but John could see the power in the guy's arms. It would be a good solid massage. "Then once you're practically asleep and free of all tension I'll get Daniels in to give you a hot towel shave. You'll feel so good you won't care about going to the ballet."

"Give it your best shot," John said doubtfully.

Neil got up and moved around the couch. "Flyboys," he muttered as he reached a door in the far wall and opened it. The humidity was clear in the new warm air that rushed in from beyond the door. "This is a private corridor that leads down to the steam rooms. Men's steam room is on the left. Make sure you go through the correct door," Neil teased. "I'll leave you now and come and get you from the steam room in a bit." He closed the door and locked in from inside. "Strip down, towels are here and a robe to go down the corridor in, here. And I'll see you soon."

John nodded as Neil left and shut the door securely behind him. Could be worse John thought. He quickly stripped out of his clothes and wrapped a clean towel around his hips and pulled on a fluffy white robe that felt a bit stupid, but he went with it. He unlocked the door and headed out into the humid corridor. There was another guy coming out of the men's steam room, also in fluffy white towel, which made John feel a little better. They exchanged polite nods as they passed each other.

John pushed his way through the door to the steam room and was pleased to find it was empty inside. It was a small room, probably a lot smaller than the ladies' one he guessed. There was a series of hooks by the door for the robes and he pulled his off and hung it up. He headed through the warm steamy room towards one of the benches and sat down with a sigh.

The air was thick and he drew it in as he settled on the bench, his back against wooden slants that kept his back off the wall. He felt the sweat break out over his skin almost instantly, but it wasn't too bad. He could increase the steam levels with the dial across the room, but he liked it like this. He closed his eyes and drew in the humid air again.

He made himself relax, to let the steam and warmth work its magic, and turned his mind to the day. The hotel had been pretty good and it had clearly fascinated Teyla, who had never been in one before. She had looked at everything with intense interest and had stood right up to the floor to ceiling window in her room, on the tenth floor, and had watched the people and cars below. John had a very stable stomach being a pilot, but he didn't know many people who would have stood like that looking down at the street far below for the first time. He guessed she looked over Atlantis' balconies a lot, but that wasn't the same as seeing activity below, or the landscape rushing up to meet you as was his piloting experience.

She had been so smiley all morning, clearly loving her victory winnings and the chance to make him do this all with her. Her eyes bright and her face glowing with enjoyment, and he had begun to wonder exactly how much power this woman had over him. And being by her side all morning, perhaps appearing to the world to be her partner, he had felt more than a little bit possessive of her.

Men had been staring at her a lot today. As soon as the two of them had headed down that first street away from the minivan transport, John had noticed guys glancing at her as they passed by. They hadn't been just curious glances either, they had been full of interest and John had been walking closer to her since. In the restaurant he had noticed the glances towards their table. The table they had sat at, that he had selected, had been small and intimate, and they had chosen to sit beside each other rather than across from one another. He had known what kind of picture they had been presenting, one that he may have been reinforcing – that she was with him. He had looked at her beside him, at that small table, seen the open enjoyment in her expression and he could understand why she had attracted so much interest. Why he kept catching himself staring at her. She was a beautiful woman anyway, but today she was practically glowing with anticipation, and try as he might not to he had begun to feel a touch of that anticipation himself.

She had been teasing him about what treatment he should have at the spa, enjoying herself at his expense a little and he hadn't cared – he had liked it because in a roundabout way it meant he was responsible for the flush of pleasure to her face. He liked that he was doing this for her, and as Neil had said – as consequences went this wasn't bad. He got to spend the entire day with her and then got to take her out to a performance tonight – okay it was the ballet, but it was still a glitzy night out and they were going to get all dressed up for it. It was all rather romantic he had realised as he watched her looking all beautiful and happy seated beside him in the restaurant, sitting closer than they normally did with each other, looking as if they really were a couple. How romantic it all was – to take a beautiful woman to the ballet on a winter's night. A beautiful alien woman from another galaxy!

He had smiled at her enjoyment then, giving himself up to the experience for her. So he would get a massage - she was right, it would be good for him. As long as he didn't end up smelling all flowery afterwards. He really didn't want to smell flowery tonight. He hoped to make tonight as enjoyable as possible, and perhaps charm Teyla just a little bit. It was a strange thing though – to charm someone you knew so well already, who knew more about him than most. It was a big change he was thinking of making with her, and he really wanted to be sure that it was a mutual thing first, if he could. Tonight would be the best opportunity to find out. He hoped.

He sighed through the thinning steam – maybe he did need to unwind a bit.

There was a knock on the door and John opened his eyes to see Neil stick his head around the door. "Out you come," Neil ordered.

John got up and took his robe from Neil's outstretched hand, pulled it on and then followed him back out into the corridor. He felt a moment of light-headedness from the change in temperature, but it passed immediately – like he wasn't used to that kind of thing.

Back in the treatment room Neil pointed to the couch. "On your front, please."

John pulled off his robe and climbed into the couch, pressing his face to the annoying face hole, only to find out it was nicely cushioned and comfortable. Neil laid another towel over John's legs and loosened the one around his hips. "I'm going to use some oils, but they're not the girly variety okay?"

"Good," John muttered.

"So, with your work I would think that most of your tension would be here," Neil muttered as his hands dropped on John's shoulders and dug deep.

"Ow!" John complained shocked at the amount of pain it had caused.

"Yep, don't you worry, we'll get rid of that," Neil announced as he removed his fingers from John's shoulder muscles. He began with soothing strokes just up and down John's back, and the oil did smell okay. Then Neil began to dig into his muscles and it became something of a torture session after all.

But, after who knew how long, the painful points lessened and John began to properly relax. He possibly fell asleep at some point and he only woke because Neil turned his attention to his legs and begun digging his thumbs into some painful tension in the back of John's thighs. John just went with it this time, the pain seeming far less important than the relaxing now. The couch was warm and supportive under his body, the sensations of the world all fuzzy and soft as he rocked with the massaging motions. It was as if his body was melting into the couch, growing so heavy and comfortable that John couldn't imagine there was anything in the world worth worrying about, or even thinking about right now.

Neil worked back up his entire back and then John had to turn over which helped to wake him up a bit. With a towel over his hips, John went back to melting into the couch as Neil worked on the front of his legs, then to his arms, working his shoulder joints and then up to John's neck. Eventually it ended and Neil said something about leaving him alone for five minutes, but John possibly fell asleep again at that point. It was only when the door opened and Neil returned from wherever he had disappeared to for who knew how long did John open his eyes and look up at the man's wide smile.

"Feel better?" Neil asked.

John nodded.

"How do you feel about going to the ballet now?"

John shrugged.

"See, I told you," Neil said with a smug smile. "I'm going to get Daniels in and he'll give you a shave and a light face massage, okay?"

John shrugged again and nodded.

"See you in a bit," Neil said as he left, to be replaced by a younger man who announced himself as Daniels in a calm soft voice. He told John to just relax which wasn't going to be a problem. Daniels wrapped a hot towel around John's chin and over his cheeks. The heat penetrated deeply into John and if there had been any last residuals of tension left lingering they departed very quickly. John struggled to stay awake this time though, only because he was going to be shaved. The towel was removed and Daniels massaged some shaving cream over John's jaw, chin and cheeks before shaving away John's day worth of stubble. The shave was quick and efficiently done. After that his face was washing and something soothing was rubbed along his jaw and chin. The massage continued over his cheeks and over his forehead. The hot towel was then gently wiped across his forehead, down his cheeks and along his chin a few times and then it was all over.

John was left alone again and this time he stayed awake, mostly. The door opened and Neil appeared. John moved to sit up and it took a while, not from aches or tiredness, but because he felt so damn good. Neil smiled at him. "Take your time getting dressed and head out to the lounge. There are hot drinks and water available while you're waiting. Your lady should be ready in about five to ten minutes."

"Thanks," John said with feeling and Neil nodded and left.

John rolled his shoulders, feeling the difference to his body. His mind was sharpening again, but there was a wonderful fog of relaxation around him. He climbed off the couch, wiped himself down of the last residuals of oil and then got dressed. He double checked he had his watch and wallet a few times since he felt so sleepy. Then he headed out of the treatment room and found the lounge just down the hall by reception. There was one other person in there, who looked so chilled that John wondered if she was going to fall asleep in the middle of writing out her cheque for the bill. The receptionist appeared with a wide smile and pointed him towards the drinks. There was coffee, so he helped himself to a cup of that to help wake himself up a bit as he waited for Teyla.

She appeared some time later looking bright skinned and very sleepy herself. A wide relaxed soft smile stretched across her face as she wandered into the lounge area and sat down next to him. He grinned at her.

"Enjoy yourself?" He asked.

"Oh yes," she replied with feeling. Her face was brightly clean, probably from a facial he guessed.

"Let's see this manicure then," he said as he reached for her hand. Any other day and time he probably would have thought twice about just taking her hand and lifting her fingers to admire her beautifully shiny nails. "Very nice."

"I had my toes done too," she told him with a sleepy voice.

"You can show me them later," he told her as he released her hand. "You have a massage as well?" He asked taking in her zoned out expression.

"Yes on my neck and shoulders, then my hands and feet."

"Sounds good," John said. "I had the whole body one."

She made a murmur. "That must have felt good."

"Very good," John replied.

She blinked her eyes, focusing a little more sharply. Her eyes dropped to his chin. "And you had the shave as well," she said happily.

He had forgotten about that and ran his hand over his jaw. It was a real nice close shave and his skin felt all soft.

She nudged him with her shoulder. "See I told you that you would enjoy yourself."

"Yes, you did," John replied.

"And he'll be no bother for you at the ballet this evening," Neil said as he entered the lounge. It was time to pay the bill it appeared.

"Thank you, Neil," Teyla said with a grin. John was surprised she could remember the guy's name the way she looked.

"You are most welcome. I hope you both visit us again soon," he said.

John stood up, his body reacting faster now. "Don't push it," he said with a smile as he shook Neil's hand. Teyla stood up slowly beside him and he left her talking with Neil while he paid the bill. It wasn't as much as John had thought, so he added an extra tip. He turned to find Teyla walking towards him, her coat on and ready. Her expression was still slightly stoned, but her eyes were brighter.

"Ready to go?" He asked.

"Yes," she replied as she looked at her watch. "What time is the ballet again?"

John looked at his watch, surprised that he really had no idea how long they had been in the spa. "We've got hours yet," he informed her as they headed towards the exit. "We can get back to the hotel and have dinner later before we leave." He wasn't feeling all that bad about the ballet now. Maybe Neil had used some anti-ballet oil on him.

As they stepped out into the chilled air, it cleared his senses further.

"I may have to have a rest before that," Teyla said as they began to walk, slowly, down the street towards the closest main road where they could catch a cab more easily.

"I may have to as well," John admitted as he put his hand to her elbow to steer her sleepy walk around a break in the pavement. He decided then that it would be safer to just keep hold of her for a while, in case there were any more tricky pavements to steer her around.

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TBC


	7. Chapter 7

**Part**: 7/?

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Teyla leant forward from her comfortable seat and selected another of the miniature cakes. She smeared a good helping of the strawberry jam over it and bit into the sweetness as she sat back against the soft luxurious cushions of the hotel sofa.

She sighed contentedly as she licked the jam from her fingertips, still feeling so thoroughly relaxed from her spa treatment. She nestled further back into the sofa of her hotel room and returned her attention to the large flat screen television to which John had introduced her. They had several hours after leaving the spa before dinner and the ballet afterwards, so they had settled down in her room as John had introduced her to the world of American television.

There was an amazing variety of programmes to watch, but they had yet to find something to settle on. John triggered the remote device again and the channel changed, then again. She glanced at him beside her, one of his arms slung across the back of the sofa and his legs stretched out beneath the coffee table. He looked properly relaxed. She smiled as she remembered how sleepy he had looked in the spa's lounge when she had emerged from her treatment. He had had his jaw supported on his hand and she suspected that being propped up on his elbow had been all keeping him in a seated position. She had not seen him that truly relaxed before, outside of being half conscious in the Infirmary. His face glowed and his expression was soft, though now with his eyes focused on the television with what she could only term as a predatory focus he looked much more alert. She turned back to the television and saw a moment of something interesting, but he skipped away from it before she could see any more.

"What was that?" She asked.

"No good, just a news report," he replied. She suspected that he had been steering her interest away from the news channels.

"How do you know it is no good when you saw only a moment of its content?" She asked him bemused at his continuous skipping of the channels.

"Years of experience," he replied with clear amusement of his own, and the channel changed yet again.

She shook her head and reached for the remote in his hand. "I think I should take control of the remote for a while," she suggested as she tugged on the plastic device.

"I'll find something in a minute," he argued, his gaze shifting from the television to her.

She wrapped her hand further around the remote, his hand warm under hers as she tried to once again gently remove the device from his grip. "Your experience has yet to find us something to watch," she pointed out.

"You don't know what you're looking for," he argued, the teasing shine to his eyes clear as he continued to resist her tug on the remote.

"And you do?" She asked doubtfully, aware that in the small playful battle playing out that he had the greater strength in his hand and arm than she did, so she reached out with her free hand and began to peel away one of his fingers. "This is my room, is it not?" She asked. "Therefore it is my television for tonight and my remote."

She has gotten one of his fingers free and finally he released the remote and she gave him a victorious smile.

"Fine," he muttered but his eyes were sparkling. "The spa, the ballet…now the remote…" He complained but she ignored his comment and turned her attention to the television. A strange flush of power passed over her as she aimed the device towards the television, the plastic warm from his hand, and she triggered the correct button to change the channel.

"You enjoyed the spa," she pointed out to him as she pressed the button again and the new channel displayed strange animals under a bright clear sky, the land so dry around them she was surprised it could support any life. She moved her finger from the button and watched the program for a few moments. A man was following a group of sandy coloured predators, and though it sounded interesting she decided to move onto the next channel.

John shifted next to her, reaching forward to the coffee table in front of them. He refilled both their cups with the last of the strong tea she had ordered. The room service was quite a luxury she felt, but a certainly nice one. She glanced at the last small cake, but told herself not to eat it as it would spoil her dinner. She turned back to the television. The next channel was suddenly absent of colour, everything in grainy greys.

"Did I do something?" She asked as she looked at the remote.

"It's an old movie, the cameras couldn't capture colours on film back then," he informed her, his voice soft and sleepy again. She glanced round at him to see he was relaxed back into the sofa cushions again, and she was doubly pleased she had taken the remote from him.

She looked back at the movie and watched it for a short time. The main male character was a very handsome man and the monotones of the movie seemed to highlight the attractive lines of his face. He was dressed in a very smart suit, seeming very confident and happy. He was talking about his planned date with the 'most beautiful woman in the world', his voice full of open admiration and a dreamy look in his eyes. Despite the rather false moonlight over his face, his open expressiveness was intriguing. She had not seen anything so emotional as yet on the television. She set the remote down beside her, deciding to watch this channel for a while.

John grumbled beside her, and with a smile she moved the remote further away from him.

The man on the screen set off to his date, his 'buddies' teasing him and wishing him well, and as he walked away from them he skipped and tapped his feet along the pavement. She smiled as he began to sing and dance his way to wherever his date was waiting for him. She settled further back into the sofa's cushions and set her socked feet on the edge of the table.

"Typical," John muttered from beside her and she looked round at him. "Going to the ballet's not bad enough," he said though he was smiling. Sitting fully back in the sofa meant that she could feel the warmth of his arm where it lay along the back of the sofa, only a tiny distance from the back of her neck. He was turned slightly, settled into the corner of the small sofa, and she thought that he would not have looked out of place with the handsome men in the movie. She doubted he would be willing to dance and sing though. She smiled at the thought and he took it the wrong way.

"You know a week break visiting their families may make things worse," he argued.

She rested her head further back on the cushions, the warmth of his arm that much closer. "I hope that is not the case, but for now you lost our bet," she reminded him softening it with a smile.

She wondered at her own comment as she said it and she considered her motivations in this bet. She had known John would not look forward to the day's activities, though she had thought that he would find some enjoyment eventually, but now she realised that perhaps there had been more she had chosen to ignore.

She looked back to the television, where the man was setting off towards his date, and she considered that perhaps she had been wrong in forcing this time alone with John. She had not intended to create any kind of romantic situation in which it was just the two of them, but she was aware of her absolute enjoyment in spending time just alone with him, with his attention solely focused on her. She felt rather embarrassed at herself now. She had wanted to experience the Earth culture of the spa and ballet with him, since in her first years in Atlantis he had been the one so eager to teach her all about Earth. She had loved those days learning about this strange alien world, and though she had adapted already into their culture living among them, being on his home world now had brought back that sense of eager curiosity. And she had wanted to explore it again with John. She wondered if perhaps it went a little further than that though – was she trying to recreate how things had been between her and John all those years ago? Before she had given up on her crush, turned to Kanaan and her life had changed.

She looked at him now and saw the very subtle differences to the man she had met over five years ago. His body had filled out, with more muscle to his shoulders and arms that she could see, but there was a new level of confidence in himself that he had discovered, as she had in herself. They had faced a lot over the years - they knew of the darkness there was out there, in its many forms. They had both changed with time, though little had altered on their faces to show it, but she saw it in his eyes. She saw the same in all the eyes of those in Atlantis, which had been emphasised for her when she had met others from Earth. Few of those on Earth had that same look. And she knew that it was a good thing that those others had not been subjected to the situations and choices she and those of Atlantis had been. Only those from the SGC and the officials who had visited the city had had the same look as those from Atlantis. Perhaps it was a look limited to those who knew how large and dangerous the universe really was. Perhaps they were those who truly understood the magnificence of the many forms of life, and who had learnt that their world was only one among so many. That knowledge could change people deeply, make them stronger or more fearful, but it could also make them more isolated. She saw some of that in John.

He had always been a reserved man about himself, but though he had formed very strong friendships with Rodney and Ronon, and herself, he was still very much an island unto himself. But there were times when she thought she saw a yearning in his eyes to open up more. She wished very much that she could walk across that uncharted bridge to the isolated island that was John Sheppard, and as she looked into his eyes now she wondered if it was her place to. She had offered her friendship and trust to him from day one, as he had in return, and there was the bond of the battlefield that they shared that was deeper than almost any other type of relationship. It was a most powerful bond, perhaps only exceeded by the bonds shared with family, and lovers.

She had yearned for that depth of connection with another, with him, but had instead turned to Kanaan. Kanaan was a man whom she had already shared deep bonds from childhood and the shift to a deeper relationship had held no real difficulties for either of them. But with John…

She looked away from him back to the movie and tried to not to sigh. She watched the man on the screen skip his way towards the woman in the distance, lit in the overwhelming brightness of a streetlight as if she were being spotlighted just for him. Was she forcing this situation with John? Hidden weakly behind the pretence of the bet? He certainly had not skipped his way towards today, but then he probably had not layered the experience with as much complex meaning as she had. She wished she had understood sooner how her excitement for Earth culture had held so much more complication than she had allowed herself to see before now. She turned back to John.

"We can watch something else if you'd like," she offered.

"I don't mind," he answered immediately. "I kind of like old movies." She thought he meant what he said, but it did not lift the strange sense of guilt she now felt.

"You do not have to come with me to the ballet," she told him honestly.

His expression shifted slightly and she wasn't sure she understood what it had displayed before he gave her a crooked smile. "We've got the tickets now," he said with a half shrug. It did not really help her feel any less guilty.

"You can stay here if you want, watch the television and enjoy the room service food," she said trying to sound very positive and understanding. "You said it had been a long time since you stayed in a hotel," she added.

He had told her that he had been subjected to a lot of hotel stays with his family when he was a child. He had explained that his father had even part owned one hotel and John, along with his brother, had stayed there for major holidays with the other members of their family. He hadn't seemed all that thrilled at the memories, but he did seem to enjoy staying in a hotel again, as compared to all the military barracks he had stayed in since those childhood days. Though Atlantis was a delightful place to live, it was empty of the culture and memories of his home world and she thought he seemed pleased at spending time in his home country.

"It's been a long time since I've spent a night out either," John replied with another half shrug. "We'll go and watch the ballet. It's supposed to be good." She was only a little surprised that he didn't take her offer to escape. He had been very clear that the ballet would not be his choice of performance to watch, yet she also knew that he would wish to see through his promise to accompany her. She felt rather guilty again at that knowledge and at the pleasure she felt that he had decided to accompany her still.

She nodded. "If you are sure," she offered again.

"I'm sure," he replied. "The spa turned out okay," he added with an encouraging smile.

She smiled widely in return and nodded. "Yes it did." At least he had enjoyed that and he had been enjoying the hotel stay, so perhaps there wasn't so much need for her guilty feelings. She had given him the choice to opt out of the performance tonight and he had chosen not to, so she did not need to feel so responsible. She nodded with that logic, once again forcing certain emotions back under the umbrella of denial, and turned back to the movie.

The woman was now on the screen, the image far softer that the natural lines of her face were almost indistinct as she smiled with wide dark lips at the man. Her face seemed to radiate beauty, her skin so pure and smooth that she almost didn't seem real to Teyla. She reached for the remote and turned to John, offering it back to him.

"I thought you wanted to watch this?" He asked as he looked down at the offered remote.

"I've seen all I want to, you can go back to your skipping through the channels," she said as she pushed the remote into his hand. His eyes narrowed slightly as if he were looking for something in her face, and she wondered if he had detected the change to her mood with her turning thoughts. She smiled at him encouragingly and let go of the remote. After a moment he shifted it in his hand and pointed it back towards the television.

"You know it's not 'skipping', it's more like hunting," he remarked as the black and white movie disappeared into a different more modern movie. The colours were shocking at first compared to the black and white of before.

"Hunting?" She asked amused, purposefully turning her focus away from her emotions.

"Yes, like tracking. I'm looking for something that interests me," he explained.

She glanced at the skipping channels. "How do you know what you are looking for?"

"I'll know it when I see it," he replied. It was a comment she understood, but at the same time he had said it in such a way that made her think he was in fact talking about something else. She glanced at him again, but his eyes were focused on the next television and she suspected that it was some reference to his culture that she did not understand.

She looked back at the screen and it finally stilled for longer than a second.

"Ah, now we're talking," he said victoriously.

They had reached channels dedicated to sports.

"Now, this is good. Winter sports," he informed her. On the screen there was a massive slope of snow and there was a dot moving down it at quite a speed. "Now watch this," he added. She fixed her attention on the dot that became apparent as a person and her eyes widened as she realised that they were headed for a large ramp beyond which there was only air. The person slid up the ramp and they launched themselves up high into the sky, spinning and turning elegantly as they rose and then righting themselves to land perfectly balanced on the boards attached to their feet on slope below.

She sat forward as the jump was replayed in slow motion. The skill and complexity of the manoeuvre as they had sailed through the air was magnificent.

"Good, huh?" John asked. "There'll be more on the other channels." He skipped through a few more until he found a summary of many different winter sports.

She watched them fascinated as John explained the details to her. She watched as skiers slid at amazing speeds down a mountainside, moving around poles set into the snow. One lost control and disappeared into the bright orange netting to the sides. Then there was the bobsled in which men shoved a cart down a slick half tube of ice, all thundering to climb into it together as it began to hurtle down the tube. The cart seemed to defy gravity as it slid around high corners without slowing. Then skiers with only one board attached to their feet raced down a slope, occasionally launching themselves off low ramps to flip themselves through the air before they landed. She laughed in delight, for she had never seen anything quite like this back in her home galaxy.

"Forget golf, I've got to take you skiing," John announced as he sat forward beside her, pointing out the details of the jump one skier performed as they twisted through the air in slow motion. "I love snowboarding," he said with clear eagerness.

She pointed at the screen. "This sport?"

"When they use only one board, that's snowboarding."

"But your feet are both fixed to the same board, are they not?" She asked gesturing to the screen as another run down the slope began.

"Yes, they are," John replied amused.

"How do you turn?"

"With your body weight and legs, see watch this guy," John indicated the man on the screen. "See how he moves his body," John said, swaying slightly himself as he watched it.

Teyla continued to watch, now studying the movements more closely and smiled. "It is rather like your skateboarding," she remarked and John grinned.

"These aren't boys," John pointed to the screen.

"I never said you were," she replied as she bumped her shoulder against his, hoping she had not actually upset him with that comment several weeks ago. He smiled as he lifted the remote again.

"Let's see what else there is," he uttered.

Then next hour was spent watching Earth sports. There was an amazing diversity to learn about. She had only known of a few, those she had seen in Atlantis or had heard spoken about in the city. Football, basketball, hockey, rugby and baseball she knew about, but there appeared to be far more than that. On channels that were broadcast from other countries they found other sports including the other type of football that she had heard MacKenzie talk about, referred to by John as Soccer. That led John into telling her about other sports, including many she knew from her own people such as archery, though John explained that Earth had several different types of bows with varying technology attached. There was shooting, curling, the highland games, swimming, and a huge variety of running and jumping sports. She told him of several sports from Pegasus that she thought he did not know, including the Meka people's foot fighting. He seemed to find that funny until she told him how her own grandfather had lost three toes in a tournament fight.

Time passed as they talked and they watched a basketball match. For the first time she actually listened to the rules of the game as John described them to her and she enjoyed the enthusiasm she heard in his voice. She admired the tall agile men in the basketball teams, their height rivalling Ronon's. But after a while the repetitive sounds of the game and the commentator's voice made her feel sleepy and she dozed, half aware of the game.

The relaxation from the spa had returned in full force and she felt far more at ease about the ballet later. She felt deeply comfortable and at ease seated beside John, aware occasionally as he would mutter something quietly at the players on the screen. She slipped back into her doze, feeling warm and contented.

-------

John watched Teyla sleep beside him. She had been dozing for a while, her eyes closing only to flutter open again a few minutes later. She was nestled back against the plush sofa cushions, her arms folded neatly across her lap, and she looked thoroughly relaxed. He had kept most of his attention on the game at first, enjoying being able to watch one again, whilst glancing at her occasionally. The game reached half time and he turned the volume down as the adverts began. He had noticed then that she had properly fallen asleep, her breathing deep and soft, her face relaxed.

He had watched her then, sat so close to him, trustful and contented in his presence, and he was really happy that she had won the bet. He doubted they would have spent as much time as this just sitting together if he had won. The spa treatments had been really relaxing and he admired the glow to her skin again. Yes, he was glad that she had won.

He watched as she sighed in her sleep, and he looked back to the screen to see that the game was in full swing again, but he turned back at Teyla instead. Her dark eyelashes fluttered lightly against her cheeks and he wondered what she was dreaming about. He wondered if she would be imagining skiing, as she had seemed very interested in the sport. He had enjoyed sharing that with her, teaching her about it and answering her questions. It reminded him of those first years in Atlantis when he had taught her about Earth, taking every opportunity to interest her and enjoy his own thoughts of home. He couldn't remember exactly when they had stopped doing that. Of course there had come a point when she had learnt how to write English well, had heard all his stories and those from the others in the city, and they had all become unified.

There were days when he forgot that she didn't know everything about Earth, that he hadn't known her all his life. He had watched her this morning looking at the people and buildings of San Francisco with that wide eyed intelligent curiosity of hers. He had liked that he had been the first to introduce her to a hotel – a simple thing that he had forgotten that she knew nothing about. And tonight he would take her to her first experience of any kind of Earth performance. How could he not want to be there with her? See her fascination with it all and he could answer her questions as best as he could.

She was a very self sufficient woman, strong in mind as well as in body. He rarely saw her as someone he needed to protect, instead he would choose her to be at his back, to help protect each other. Yet, as she sat beside him, sunk contentedly into the large cushions of the sofa he saw only the fact that she was a beautiful woman, smaller and more delicate than him. He traced her features with his eyes, and then down to her feminine hands with her newly manicured nails. She could fight off a Wraith, but she had wanted to have her nails done. He smiled at the contrast. And there was the contrast he felt towards her. She was a strong woman, but she was still a woman and she spoke to him on a deep male level. He wanted to stroke his fingers down her cheek, brush that one tendril of hair from her cheekbone. He thought she looked like she would fit nicely against him and he clenched his hands at the urge to reach for her. If he was going to make his move he wanted her completely awake and to be looking into her eyes to make sure she really understood his intent and that she felt the same.

He unfurled his fist were it lay along the back of the sofa, her head so close to his forearm. He shifted his arm, letting his fingers brush her hair ever so slightly, feeling the softness of it and he wanted to stroke his fingers through its shine. The scents of the spa lingered around her – an intoxicating mix of flowers and spices and it only accentuated the very feminine feel of her. He risked brushing his fingers over her hair again, very lightly, and then he pulled his hand back again, but rested it closer than before.

His watch bleeped breaking the moment and he lifted his wrist to see the time. He had set it for an hour before dinner because he had been worried that he would fall asleep after that massage. It was time they got ready for dinner and the ballet.

Teyla murmured as she woke beside him, stretching her arms and body as she sighed heavily. "Did I miss the end of the game?" She asked and John realised he had no idea, looking up to see that it was still going.

"No, they're still playing," he answered confidently. "But, we've got dinner in an hour. We need to get ready."

She sat up straight in the sofa, the nap clearly having refreshed her. "Do I need to dress for the ballet now, or after dinner?"

"Now, we'll have a posh dinner in the restaurant downstairs and then head straight to the ballet," he told her as he made himself get up from the sofa.

"Wonderful," she replied as she stood as well, stretching her arms again arching her back as she did. "Did you bring your bowtie?" She asked.

He rolled his eyes and turned towards the door to head to his own room. "I'll be back here in…" he checked his watch. "Fifty minutes, okay?"

"Yes," she replied with a bright smile. "I shall be ready."

With any other woman he would have made some doubtful comment, but he was pretty sure that Teyla would be ready precisely on time, if not beforehand.

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TBC


	8. Chapter 8

**Part**: 8/?

**Note:** Thank you guys for the lovely reviews, I appreciate it. And thanks for the notes on the American turn of phrase, I have tried to make those changes, but please do remember that in England there are some words that are just spelt differently. To those I couldn't reply to directly (ie not logged into the site when they review) I send my thanks this way :)

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Teyla looked up in delight at the lights surrounding the entrance to the ballet, the light standing out brightly against the dark night around them. The air was chilly tonight, but she was wrapped up in her coat and there were only a few steps between the curb and the entrance.

John stepped up next to her, as the cab pulled away from behind them. "Ready?" He asked as he once again held out his elbow for her and she smiled as she looped her hands around his arm. He had explained the importance of a man escorting a lady to such events, and she had enjoyed the new atmosphere of this evening.

Just being dressed in her long dark dress made her feel elegant and as she looked round at the other ladies climbing the few steps alongside her and John she saw flashes of beautiful dresses and smart suits beneath the heavy winter coats. John had assured her that her dress was beautiful, but it pleased her to see that she fitted in with the styles around her. The dress was a little unusual for her, hanging almost to her feet in a very dark blue material, with a slightly cosseted middle and a haltered loop around her neck, leaving her shoulders and arms bare. Piotr had suggested long gloves, but she liked the freedom of her bare arms, with the slight exception of the silver bracelet John had given her around her right wrist. In fact everything she wore tonight, other than her coat, was new - from the dress, to her closed toed shoes, to her underwear that the lingerie attendant had assured her was designed to disappear under close fitting clothing. Teyla had not been too sure of the lacy like back and sides to the underwear, but once her dress was in place there was nothing but smooth lines. She felt new and refreshed from the spa, the beautiful smells of the treatments still lingering around her and John, and her special new clothes for tonight's experience all made her feel all the more excited.

Since they already had their tickets they had not needed rush to arrive, and now only had to hand in their coats. As they joined the line she looked around at the large bright posters lining the lobby. They displayed the beautiful postures of the ballerinas, their faces intent and focused. Teyla noticed that a lot of other people around the lobby looked excited as she, though there were those who seemed as emotional-less and poised as the ballerinas on the walls. Teyla kept her hand around John's elbow as she watched the people around her, fascinated as ever in these people who were just like her but from an entirely different planet in another galaxy. She watched one woman arrive wrapped in a massive furry coat, her face heavily covered in makeup, her posture suggesting that she may have once stood as beautifully as the ballerinas. The woman joined the line behind her and John, and Teyla looked away from the woman seeing John's mutually amused look.

They had shared a lovely dinner in an entirely different restaurant in the hotel from this afternoon. The massive room had been packed with more tables than the other, and almost all the tables had been full by the end of their meal. The lighting had been lower, the tableware more complex and shiny, and the food more exotic. She had felt more comfortable though, and had sat beside John at their small table, one candle glowing in the centre, and had embraced the experience. She could not remember what they had talked about, but it had been a lovely meal and she had enjoyed the candlelight over their food and his features.

The line moved forward and the attendant was reaching for their coats. Teyla slid her hand from John's arm and held her small bag as she pulled herself free of her coat, only for John to help her. He slid the coat from her shoulders, his fingers brushing the bare skin of her arms ever so slightly as he did. He handed her coat over the counter and only then did he remove his own. She watched as he revealed his lovely black suit again, so wonderfully tailored to his shoulders and waist. Under the dark jacket he wore a waistcoat over a bright white shirt, and the bowtie she had given him at his collar. She broke her eyes away from her admiring as he turned and handed her the small tokens for their coats. She added them to her bag as they stepped away from the counter and a bell rang from somewhere.

"What does that mean?" She asked as once again slid her hand around his offered elbow.

"It's just to get everyone moving to their seats," John replied as he pulled their tickets out from one of his pockets. "We're in the Grand Tier," he said as he glanced down at her. "Should be a real good view, you know to see all of the prancing," he added. She swatted his arm with her free hand. His comments about the ballet had become far less geared towards complaining that she had won the bet and instead had become more gently teasing.

"Where do we need to go?" She asked leaning against him to see the numbers on the tickets, as they moved along with the crowd through the open doors towards the staircases beyond. It seemed that the bell had drawn a lot of people towards the stairs. The press of people wasn't too tight, but there was a strong mixture of perfumes around them.

"That way," John replied as he gestured up to the right. They made their way further towards the right hand side staircase, and Teyla kept close to his side as she let him lead her to where they needed to go. She was more interested in the variety around her and the feel of anticipation in the air.

"Everyone looks so lovely," she remarked as they made their way to the stairs. She dropped her free hand to the long skirts of the dress and lifted them slightly to aid the climb. John's arm tightened her hand against his side, aiding her subtly.

"Some more than others," he replied softly and she looked up to see him smile down at her dress and then up to her eyes. She felt a light flush across her skin at his attention and compliment.

"Thank you," she replied as she returned her attention to climbing the stairs and not treading on her new dress. John had complimented her earlier on her dress, but it still made her heart flutter a little with pleasure to hear it again, and to know that she had been successful in her attempts at creating an appropriate outfit.

They reached the small landing above and he steered her to the next staircase to the right. Around her other ladies were carefully raising their dresses to climb the stairs, but unlike her many of them had towering high heels. Teyla did not enjoy wearing that particular fashion accessory, for she preferred to wear shoes that would enable her to run if she needed. It was perhaps a foolish thought in an environment such as this, but it was a deeply engrained belief for her. Growing up on a world where the Wraith could attack at any point of the day or night, on any world, made you naturally cautious as to such details.

As they reached the top of these stairs she could already hear the sounds from the massive room ahead. She dropped her hand from her skirts and peered around the people in front of them and could already see the large dark ceiling of the room ahead. Then they passed through the opened curtains and into the room. The rush of large numbers of voices filled the massive space, but as it was so large the volume of so many talking was not uncomfortable or too loud. John drew her onwards, away from the line still crowded around the curtained doorway and towards the edge of the balcony. The closer they walked the more she could see. She gasped as she stared down at the tiered levels below, so many people milling around the close set seating. She turned, looking up, to see the other tiered balcony levels above and behind this level

"Not bad, huh?" John asked with amusement from her side and she realised she stood staring up at the massive decorated room, him at her side as others carefully passed them by. No one appeared in too much of a rush and she saw their approving smiles at her clear admiration. She saw several others leaning over the balcony's edge to look down and up at the other tiers, so she did not feel totally alone in her staring.

"It is very impressive," she replied gathering herself and returning to her place closer to John's side, but he seemed in no hurry to get moving. Behind them people were sitting down in their seats, though all seemed to be talking and laughing with each other in no great hurry. It was a strange sensation she felt at being among so many in one room and she realised how once again it went rather against her instincts. But she was safe here and she pushed the concern aside, and as John gently moved them forward along the carpeted space between the balcony's edge and the first line of seats, she looked out at the stage beyond currently hidden behind a huge thick red curtain.

"He we go," John said as he paused and she felt his hand on hers where it rested on his arm. She looked down to see two empty seats right at the front of this balcony level.

"These are our seats?" She asked with delight.

"Sure," he replied as he smiled. "You need to see all the prancing," he added gesturing to the stage.

She grinned at him as she let go of his arm and made her way to one seat. To her right an older gentleman with a large white beard nodded politely to her, and she smiled back as she sat down. The seat was deep and comfortable under her and she smiled even more as she set her bag at her feet.

"Here you go," John said and she looked up to see the programme guide he offered her. She took the thin booklet from him and opened it as he unbuttoned his jacket and sat down next to her. As he settled into his seat she looked through the guide. "Do you know the story of the Nutcracker?"

He leaned over the armrest between them to the guide. "Sure, young girl gets nutcracker for Christmas, she falls asleep and dreams she meets him. They fight a mouse king," he replied as he looked at the programme with her.

She chuckled at his summation of the story and then frowned. "What is a mouse?" She asked realising she hadn't looked that up when she had read the story.

"A tiny little rodent," John replied holding his hand up and indicating how small the creature could be.

She frowned. "And they are dangerous?"

"Only to furniture and house prices," John answered her. She frowned at him, seeing his amusement. "They have really tough teeth and can chew through just about anything in a house – like your walls, furniture, electrical cables…"

"Then they are not very intelligent?"

"No, very small brains," John replied. "But, they can cause a lot of property or crop damage if they're not controlled."

She nodded her understanding. "So the Mouse King is more whimsical in nature," she said as she flipped through the guide.

"I guess. Mice were probably more trouble back when this story was written," John suggested as he sat back in his seat.

From the levels below this balcony the sounds of musical instruments being tested drew her attention and she sat tall in her seat to look down towards the stage. Around her the seats were almost entirely filled up, everyone settling down and the volume of voices was reducing slightly. Excitement seemed to overlay the voices and she leant forward so she could see more of the orchestra below. Deep short tones mixed with sharp higher notes as the different musicians prepared for the performance. Piotr had explained to her about the different musical instruments, though she had seen a few in Atlantis. One scientist had brought his violin with him to the city a few months ago and Teyla had enjoyed sitting on a balcony listening to him practice from the room below.

"I understand that the music is quite well known," she remarked to John as she glanced back at him.

"Most people would recognise it," he replied. His eyes were bright in the half light, and she realised that the light level was reducing – it was almost time for the performance to begin. She settled back in her seat and glanced at John again to see he was clearly amused by her. She tried to regain some control of her excitement.

"Have you been to the ballet before, my dear?" The older gentleman from her right asked quietly.

"No, this is my first time," she replied.

"I am sure you will love it," he replied. "I saw this same ballet here last year and it was wonderful."

"I am very much looking forward to it," Teyla replied.

The practicing brief notes of music below ceased and the darkness finally descended completely over the massive room. Then the orchestra burst into sound, the music abrupt and vibrant, filling the air so loudly that she caught her breath for a moment. Across the space the huge curtain vibrated briefly and then began to ascend as the music rose.

Dancers burst onto the stage, twisting and smiling with the music as they began to dance. Teyla made herself stay settled back into her seat, though she wanted to lean forward to see as much as she could, though from these seats she had full view of the stage. She understood why John had said the view would be good and she noted to thank him again later.

She watched as the talented young woman who was the lead character twirled around the large Christmas tree set to one side of the stage, others around her. Teyla lost herself in the movements, the dresses they wore and it was only when the music died away and everyone clapped that she realised she had not been paying attention to the story being told. But, then John had been correct – the story was simple enough to follow.

The next piece of music began immediately and she no longer cared that she was leaning forward eagerly, for now the dream had begun and the young girl had met the Nutcracker in her dreams. The man was tall and very well built, his strength clear not only in the shape and width of his body, but in the height with which he leapt and spun. She had never seen a man move like that before and she smiled at John's previous comment about the men wearing tights in ballet. He was right that the men were very noticeably showing the strength and power of the legs, but she understood as the man leapt, how skilful these dancers were.

She watched the way the beautifully dressed women balanced on the points of their toes, the blocks inside their shoes barely supporting them. Piotr had told her about his sister's training to get onto 'point' and how damaging it could be if it was not done correctly, and how even when it was the women's feet would never be the same. Teyla had wondered why they would go through that, but as she watched the group of women in bright white lift up onto their points and turn so gracefully, she understood a little why they did.

The elegance of them, the beauty of the postures and the emotions both displayed and evoked was mesmerising. The women leapt and turned together, moving perfectly in time with the swells of the music. She had never seen anything like this from her home galaxy, for this was something that could only really be born from a culture which did not live each day in fear, and it was beautiful. It exhibited the power and grace of the human form in a way that she had never before appreciated.

Then as one flow of music ended, with its usual audience applause, the curtain began to descend marking that already it was halfway completed. As the stage disappeared and the clapping receded the lights came up and she blinked at the change.

She sat back fully into her seat finally with a sigh and looked round at John next to her. He was already looking at her and she met his smile. People began to rise from their seats and their voices filling the air.

"It is wonderful," she said to him.

"You looked like you were enjoying it," he replied.

"The power and strength it must take…" she said with admiration.

He nodded before he added. "Checking out the tights were we?"

She smiled at his teasing as he sat slightly forward in his seat. "All of them are wearing tights," she pointed out and he smiled back.

"You want something to drink?" He asked. She looked up at the people moving around the balcony, most heading towards the exits. She did not really relish the idea of heading out of this wonderfully large room and into the press of people in the lobby just yet.

"I am fine and I would prefer to remain in here," she answered looking around at the high decorated walls around the stage.

"How about we walk around the lower level, you can see where the orchestra sit," he suggested.

"I would like that," she replied eagerly, reaching for her bag and standing up with him.

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The second half of the performance was even more impressive than the first half. The dancers clearly throwing themselves into the performances and John had to agree with Teyla – the skill and strength the dancers, male and female alike, displayed was seriously impressive.

John watched the latest dancer as she was lifted up so effortlessly by one of the guys in tights, and she folded herself backwards as he turned her. They moved in perfect time with the music, the orchestra really into the flow now, no doubt building towards the closing finale.

John slid his attention from the distant dancers to Teyla beside him. She had been leaning forward to watch throughout, unknowingly allowing him to watch her as well as the performance. Her clear enjoyment in the display made him smile as he watched her stare with fascination and smile with admiration at the dancers below.

In the darkness of the balcony she was lit across her front from the stage, her skin glowing. He glanced down from her face to the bare expanse of her shoulders and upper back. Her dress was gorgeous, hugging her in all the right places, and the long skirts moved around her like water, occasionally suggesting to the shape of her legs beneath as she had walked beside him. Perhaps it was the dress, the music, or the whole day, but the urge to touch her was growing with a powerful fire in his belly.

He broke his eyes away from her as everyone clapped. The main girl was back before the Christmas tree which meant it was almost over. He felt a burst of disappointment on Teyla's behalf, but he also felt a touch of the same for himself. Their bet was almost over, the evening disappearing away with the tick of the clock. He had only a few more hours with her tonight and then tomorrow they would be heading back to Atlantis.

The orchestra's music swelled again as the girl woke from her dream, lifted her nutcracker toy in her hands and then rushed to her mother's embrace. The music reached a vibrating crescendo and then dropped away dramatically, and the applause exploded. The dancers appeared together along the stage to take their bow and then finally the curtain began to descend. People stood up from their seats and clapped madly. He applauded – it hadn't been that bad, for ballet.

The curtain settled down into place and the lights began to slowly brighten. The clapping was replaced with the conversation of hundreds all in one room. With a mixture of relief and disappointment John turned back to Teyla.

"Good?" He asked her, but it was clear from her expression that she had thoroughly enjoyed herself.

"It was wonderful to the end, thank you, John," she replied.

"You won it," he reminded her as he stood and buttoned his jacket closed.

She smiled as she stood, her bag in her hand, the long drapes of the dress falling into place around her legs. "Yes, and I am sure you are very glad it is now over," she said.

"Just remind me never to bet against you again," he said as he offered her his elbow. She slid her hand around his arm, so willingly, and stepped up to his side. "You don't play fair," he teased her as he led her into the queue to leave the balcony.

"You were going to subject to me to golf," she argued.

"How about next time I take you skiing?" He offered.

She smiled, her body very close to his side, her face turned up to his brightly. "You just said you were never planning to bet against me again."

"Good point, who knows what you'll subject me to next time," he replied as the queue moved forward.

"You enjoyed the spa did you not?" She asked.

He tilted his head in vague agreement and she chuckled. They reached the staircase again and he watched as she carefully lifted her skirts slightly to step down the steps. He grinned at the memories of today he would enjoy for quite a while, and Teyla delicately stepping down the staircase would definitely be one of them.

"What is it?" She asked suspiciously from his side.

"Nothin'," he replied just to bait her and he gave her his best innocent look. She looked at him doubtfully before looking back down at the stairs.

He slid his eyes to her neck again, at the full overhead light across all her lovely skin. She looked round and this time he didn't pretend he hadn't been looking, instead he just smiled at her. Around them people were talking, laughing and discussing the ballet, the press of people increasing as they reached the base of the staircase and he led her towards the long queue for their coats. Above the constant level of conversation around them the music of Tchaikovsky could just be heard.

John tucked her hand slightly closer to his side as they stilled at the back of the queue, people both standing and pushing past them, but he had no concerns about Teyla feeling uncomfortable or getting crushed, she would sooner elbow the taller men twice her size in the gut before they got a chance. If she could beat up Ronon…he glanced down at her, the angle affording him a lovely view at her neckline.

"You didn't tell anyone else about this bet, did you?"

She looked up at him, her eyes very wide with false innocence. "No, of course not."

"Tey-la?" He pushed.

"Piotr knows for he advised me on how to dress and behave at the ballet," she replied.

"Oh he did, did he?"

She grinned as they stepped a whole foot forward in the queue. "I needed an opinion on how to design my dress, and besides I think he enjoyed sharing his interest in ballet with someone else."

"I'm sure he did," John replied.

"Not in that way," she argued, the pressure of her body against his side increasing briefly as she nudged him.

"Sure," John said very doubtfully. "Did he want to see you in the dress?"

"Of course, how else could he know it was appropriate," she responded.

"I think Piotr has a little ballet crush on you," John told her only half joking.

She laughed lightly and he watched a light pink flush cross her cheekbones. "He is a friend," she argued. "And in answer to your previous question – no I have not told anyone else that you visited a spa and the ballet today." She had turned the tables and he glared down at her. There was a touch of power to her eyes as she looked up at him, her dark eyes sparkling in the lobby's light.

"Why do I get the feeling that you're going to use this against me in the future?" He asked.

Her eyes widened with fake shock. "I would not do that to you, John," she answered.

They were almost to the front of the queue, but someone at the front was arguing with the attendant so John turned his focus back down to the woman on his arm. "You know, a couple of months ago I would have believed you, but now I know what you're really like."

She lifted a querying eyebrow.

"You come across as this honourable ethical leader, all polite and respectful," John said as he glanced at the raised voices ahead of them and then back down to her. "But really there's this wicked side to you." He had almost used the word 'naughty'.

He enjoyed her bright surprised look, seeing the flush of pink returning to her golden cheeks. "Wicked?" She asked.

"Sure, forcing me into this against my will," he exaggerated and she laughed lightly. "Betting on the future of our friends' happiness."

Her body nudged against his again. "This bet was your idea," she exclaimed. Her body was turned more towards his now amidst the press of people, both her hands on his arm as she contested her innocence.

John pulled a thoughtful face. "Maybe I can use this to my advantage. The truth about Teyla Emmagan…" he glanced back down at her. "…the devil woman."

Her mouth opened in objection, but then she closed her lips and gave him that suspicious look again. "You are just trying to prevent me from telling others that you loved the spa and ballet so much."

"I _enjoyed_ the spa, not 'loved'," he objected, his smiling actually making his cheeks ache a little. He turned a little further towards her in the queue, keeping his arm to his side to maintain the press of her hands against his body.

She looked up at him with that teasing sparkle in her eyes, the dark lines of her dress seeming deeper in the faint shadow he cast over her as they stood so close in the queue.

"I am sure Ronon and Major Lorne's opinions of you would in no way be harmed to learn that you had a manicure," she teased, her chin lifting ever so slightly challengingly. He shifted his eyes away from her, only just stopping himself from letting his gaze wander down her throat.

"I didn't have manicure," he pointed out. With his eyes away from her he noticed that the coat disagreement ahead was over and they were only two people away from the counter.

Her body warmth pressed ever so slightly closer. "There is a manicure set in your quarters that will seem to say otherwise," she replied quietly.

He looked back down at her, trying to control his smile and not give away just how much he was enjoying this, even when she was teasing him. "I was going to give that to you, but now I've changed my mind," he informed her. "Maybe Piotr would like it."

She laughed at his side, the sound soft and deep. The man beside Teyla glanced round at her, his eyes appreciative, until he saw John's look and he looked away again. Teyla tugged on his arm, making him aware that they were now head of the line. As they stepped up to the counter Teyla handed over the tickets for their coats and the attendant disappeared into the coatroom. John glanced towards the exit at the end of the lobby. The evening was almost over and outside he could see the light frost against the glass doors. He had planned to take Teyla for a walk, since their hotel wasn't too far from here, and there was that ice rink only a few streets away. He used to enjoy watching the Christmas skaters.

The coats arrived and he reached for them before Teyla did, lifting their heavy weight over the counter and gestured for her to follow him to the free space to the side of the lobby that allowed space for them to pull on their coats. Teyla followed him, her hand touching against his back, not wanting to lose him through the tight press of the crowd here. He reached behind and caught her hand in his, and guided them through all the others adjusting their coats. He reached the small space he had spotted to the side under one of the brightly lit ballerina posters. He released the soft warmth of her hand and turned to her as he pulled her coat free from his arm.

She shivered a little now they were so much closer to the door and she reached for her coat. He opened her coat for her, holding it for her to slip into, being a gentleman and all. She smiled at the gesture, as she had each time he had offered it tonight. He watched as she turned her back to him, allowing him the full view of the back of her dress, the swell of her hips and backside against the silk like material she wore. Yes, it was really tough for him to do this for her.

He shook his head at himself as he turned his attention to actually helping her into her coat. She set her hands in the sleeves and he pulled the thick winter coat up her arms, the backs of his fingers grazing over the bare skin of her shoulders as the coat settled over her. He pulled his hands away as she rolled her shoulders into the coat and began buttoning it up as she turned back towards him. He pulled his own coat from his arm, wrapping his scarf around his neck first and then he pulled on the coat, his eyes on her in front of him. She slid her hand under her hair and pulled it out from under her coat, and she smiled up at him.

"Thank you again, John," she said. "It has been a wonderful evening."

He buttoned up his own coat as he nodded his agreement.

"A lovely end to a wonderful day," she amended as she pulled her dark winter gloves into place, hiding her manicured nails.

He rolled his shoulders settling his coat more comfortably as he pulled on his own gloves. "How do you feel about walking back? There's an ice rink and all the Christmas lights are still up," he suggested hopefully.

Her smile widened. "I would enjoy that," she replied, her bright teeth showing between her full lips. He pulled his eyes away from her mouth with an effort and smiled, pleased that she seemed in no hurry either for the evening to end just yet.

He turned and once again offering his arm to her, perhaps for the last time. "Shall we go?"

She slid both of her gloved hands around his arm, back against his side. "Yes, we shall."

--------------  
TBC


	9. Chapter 9

**Part**: 9/?

**Rating**: Please remember the rating for this fic may go up at any point from here onwards...

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It was cold for San Francisco, but then the sky was brightly clear tonight. They kept close as they walked and after a block he was feeling warmer and she had assured him that she was warm enough. They turned a corner and stopped at the crossing, waiting for several cabs to pass before they hurried across, the cool night breeze around them.

Above them the tall buildings still glowed with Christmas lights, but there were few less people on the streets than he had expected. Beside him Teyla turned, twisting to look up at the lights across the front of a tall hotel.

"Everything is so bright," she said, her breath wisping out into the dark.

He looked up at the blaze of colourful lights across the building, a large Christmas tree set over the large entrance, its own colours sparkling. Christmas may be over, but the decorations still retained the feeling of the holidays. But then there was still the New Year to come, and it was going to be 2010. There would be some serious parties across the planet at the end of the week.

"Piotr told me that American cities never sleep," she added pulling her attention away from the hotel as they passed on by.

"That's usually said about one particular city, but I guess there are always lights on somewhere and people moving around at any time of the day," he considered.

"I think it is beautiful," she replied softly as they turned down another street, lined with more brightly lit buildings.

There were more people here, only a couple of blocks from Union Square, but still the sidewalks were quieter than expected. He steered them over another road and turned them towards the square itself. He looked up at the tall buildings around them, trying to see them through her eyes. "I'm used to it, I guess," he replied.

"Where did you normally spend your holidays, before the city?" She asked him from his side, carefully not mentioning Atlantis' name.

John shifted his hands deeper into his pockets, Teyla's hands still around one arm, and he shrugged with his answer. "Usually on a Base," he admitted. "Sometimes I was stationed abroad." Though, you couldn't get more foreign territory than another galaxy.

"You do not enjoy the holidays?" She asked.

He looked down at her. "I don't mind them, chance for a vacation," he replied dismissively. He hadn't really put all that much stock in the family holidays, since he had been estranged from his family for so many years and before that he had tried to avoid being home.

"You seem to enjoy them in the city," she noted. He noticed that her curious expression had returned and that it was now turned on him. He felt a little self conscious under her attention, and looked away to navigate them around a group of slightly drunken partygoers. The group jeered and laughed among themselves as they passed.

"Were you looking forward to seeing you brother?" She asked once they had passed, her question surprising him. "Now that you did not win the bet…are you going to visit him?" She clarified. He wondered if she was feeling guilty for pulling him away from the visit to the golf course near his brother.

He smiled down at her. "I was looking forward to the golf more," he told her.

She rolled her eyes, but returned her gaze to him and he knew she wasn't going to let him get away with that answer. He pondered the truth. "We talked, more by email, but it's a long way to go to visit."

"You were prepared to travel that distance to the golf course," she pointed out, but her voice was teasing and non-judgemental.

"And to torment you," he added.

They paused at the next crossing, and he held his arm tighter to his side to keep her close, though clearly she knew when and when not to cross the roads, he still felt the need to look out for her in the big city. They headed across the road when it was clear and as they reached the other side he turned her towards the clear bright lights of Union Square in the near distance.

He looked down at her again. She was far from her people, her family of a sorts. As he understood it Torren was her only true family member left alive, but her people, especially those like Halling, were her family. He remembered Woolsey's speech at the Christmas party. He had been right that many of those in the city considered each other family. John's team and friends were his surrogate family, and he remembered that Teyla had described Ronon and Rodney as being like her brothers. So she had her surrogate family around her at least, as he did, but they were never going to be her people. She noticed his attention and looked up at him with a raised questioning eyebrow.

"You miss your people?" He asked, hoping he wasn't overstepping the mark in asking.

She took a breath, the out breath misting around her lightly. "I do," she admitted, her face momentarily sad and he regretted asking the question. Of course she did, it had been a stupid question. "But I am pleased that most of those I hold most dear are around me still," she added glancing up at him. He smiled at her look which told him that she counted him among that group, and one of her hands rubbed against his arm briefly.

"We'll get back there," he promised her, though in truth he really didn't know that for sure. Though he hated the idea of leaving the people of Pegasus unguarded, at the same time he knew how wary those in charge were at letting the power and protection of Atlantis just up and leave Earth. He was glad that he didn't have to make that decision, because he would take the city back for her and for himself. He missed Pegasus and the life they had all shared there. Though there were some parts to it he was glad to have left behind - like worrying from which direction the Wraith were going to attack next, but he missed the off world missions and exploring an unknown galaxy.

She looked away from him and he watched her expression change to wonder again. He looked ahead as well to see that they were almost at their destination. The wide high buildings around the square were covered in light and in the middle of the central pedestrian area stood a tall Christmas tree, shining in the dark. At the very top a large star glowed. He heard Teyla's happy breath beside him and they stopped as they entered the wide space, looking up at the tree together.

"I had seen this place on the shopping trip, but it is so different at night," she uttered.

"Did you see the skating?" He asked pointing towards the base of the tree near which the sectioned off ice rink still stood out in its soft lighting.

"No, I did not," she replied clearly interested. "We were very intent on our shopping."

"I'd take you skating but we're not really dressed for it," he told her and he nudged his coat's sleeve back to see his watch. "And they'll be closing soon, but we can sit and watch for a bit."

"I would love that," she replied looking around at the square.

He smiled as he led them towards the pedestrian area - she was so easy to entertain. Once on the other side of the road and in the square itself she loosened her hold on his arm as she twisted and turned to look at the buildings bright against the dark night. The ice rink would be closing in ten minutes, since it was late, but there were still a good number of people skating around. Soft Christmas music could be heard over the sliding sound of skates on ice. Bright winter hats and scarves trailed behind the skaters as they flowed around the sectioned off area.

To one side across the space there were some shallow steps and he guided her toward them. There were few people moving around the square itself, but there was a coffee vender nearby, light wisps of steam dancing up from his stall as he idly tidied his things away, probably waiting for the rink to close up for the night.

"Some of them are very skilled," Teyla remarked drawing his attention back to the skaters.

"And some not so much," he added as a small group of friends, who had eased themselves away from the support of the railing, were struggling to keep upright. They battled against each other and their giggles until one slipped and they all tumbled down. Teyla chuckled next to him as they watched the group trying to get onto their knees and back up on their skates whilst laughing.

"When I was young we used to slide across the rivers when they froze," Teyla said as they continued towards the steps.

"On Old Athos?" He asked as they climbed the shallow steps and turned at the top.

"Yes," she replied as she tucked her coat under her backside and settled down on the top step beside him. He did the same, the step cold under him. "My father used to tell me to only remain near the edges, that the ice was weak in the centre of the river," she continued, her voice full of happy memories.

"But, you didn't," he guessed.

"We did usually did keep to the sides, especially on the larger rivers, but occasionally our camp would be located near narrower rivers and when it was particularly cold we would dare each other to slide right across."

"You ever fall in?" He asked, setting his arms on his knees, missing the warmth of her hands on his arm, but she was sitting right up close to his side, trapping warmth between them, so that was something.

She smiled. "Only once and I was too young to really remember much of the experience. The trick was to run at the ice and slide smoothly across without pausing." John chuckled at the image of young Teyla skimming across the frozen water – it was amusing and worrying at the same time. "I remember Halling falling in once," she added with an amused laugh.

"What happened?"

"He was always taller and heavier than the others and he slid across this particularly wide river and could not make it all the way across. I can still remember his worried expression just as we heard the ice cracking." She chuckled again. "He had been sensible enough to have tied rope around his waist though, and Hakon had been strong enough to help pull him out onto the thicker ice. Halling's father was very angry," she was smiling as she spoke, but then her smile died away. "I do miss Halling."

John pressed his shoulder closer to hers. "We'll get you back home, Teyla," he promised her softly.

Her gaze had been focused on the skaters or maybe on somewhere far further away. She looked round at him, the golden light of the square's glow across her skin. "I am home…in the city," she added.

It pleased him to hear that, but he wasn't sure if that was a good thing. Her home was an Ancient city isolated on an alien world for her, with no family but her son and her people far away. But he was pleased that she had stayed in Atlantis and not back in Pegasus – he wondered if that was very selfish of him?

She glanced away, back towards the skaters, her face betraying only a touch of sadness. He tilted his head to look at her beautiful features and he missed the light happy excitement that she had displayed all day. It pained him more than a little to see even a lingering touch of sadness to her face.

"Well," he said forcing casual cheerfulness into his voice as he pressed his shoulder against hers again, leaning himself closer to her. "At least you've got a home filled with surrogate brothers like Ronon and Rodney." She smiled as he had hoped. "Though, I still think you could have found better brothers than those two," he joked. She chuckled and her posture relaxed slightly, though her gloved hands were still tucked between her knees as if she were cold.

"They make wonderful brothers," she objected.

"You have strange taste," he told her. "But then that makes sense – ballet, men in tights, Lorne…" She laughed. "And now you want Rodney in your family," he shook his head in disbelief.

"You are very good friends with Rodney," she protested.

"I _have_ to work with him," John objected vaguely.

"You value him as much as I do."

He glanced away as the Christmas music stopped, signally that the skating was almost over. "Which only goes to show there's clearly something wrong with me as well," he muttered.

He heard her breathy laugh. "I do not think so," she said warmly and he looked back at her beside him, the warmth of her shoulder and side against him. He smiled at her lovely smile, taking the compliment happily from her. She was so close and he let his eyes wander over her face for a moment, and as she looked away he kept his eyes on her.

He watched her as she watched the ice rink, enjoying the lights over her skin and the feel of her so close to him. It had been a good day and yet it felt like it was running away from him. He turned to look out at the rink himself, watching one woman spin in place, her scarf wrapping loosely around her shoulders. Around her others smoothly skated, probably having chosen the late hour as there were fewer people on the ice. He watched the spinning woman slide out of her turn, the scarf dancing out behind her again.

Above the rink the tall sparkling tree overlooked the entire square and John looked up its height and felt a moment of happiness at being here. He loved Atlantis and the adventure of being in Pegasus, but there was something about Christmas – even for a guy like him. The holiday had never really been a favourite of his, being far too involved in family, but seeing the lights, the chilled air and the skaters…it made him smile.

He slid his gaze back to Teyla beside him and wondered if her excitement of the day had been rubbing off on him. He watched a tendril of her reddish brown hair dance across her cheek and he almost reached out to brush it back for her. Then he saw the light frown cross her features and he looked back to the rink to see what had caused her frown. The rink was empty of skaters, the last of them stepping off the ice and the lights across the rink began to shut down.

"Is it over?" She asked.

He nodded, but wondered if she had meant their day as well as the skating. If she had she was right - their day of shared activities, as she had put it, were over. And with them their excuses to remain alone together, or were they just excuses for him? She had wanted to experience some Earth culture and had wanted to share it with him.

But, their time was almost up, the night closing in and the square growing quieter around them as the last skaters left and the chill chasing away the rest. He watched her as she looked round at the still bright buildings. He could see her disappointment, her desire to hold onto the day, as he did. Tomorrow they would get up and go catch the minivan to head back to Atlantis. He loved that city, but right now he felt reluctant to head back there.

"Thank you for joining me, John. Despite what you said, you did not really have to accompany me today."

"I promised I would," he objected.

"It wasn't too much like torture?" She smiled as she used his word, but he thought he saw the honest touches of concern behind her expression.

"Far from it," he assured her.

She lifted her shoulders against the cold, a faint shiver passing through her, as she smiled at his admission.

"Maybe we should get going, get into the warm," he suggested reluctantly.

She nodded rather half-heartedly. "It is so lovely out here though," she said as she looked up at the clear sky above them.

He bumped gently against her shoulder as he stood up to get her moving. "We'll walk back."

She sighed as she stood up. "That will be nice. It is a shame that the day is over," she uttered as she followed him down the steps. He couldn't agree with her more.

"We could do something else," he suggested impulsively turning to face her at the base of the staircase. Maybe the evening didn't have to be over so soon.

She looked up at him, another cold shiver passing through her and she pushed her hands deep into her coat's pockets. "Like what?" She asked.

"As you said these cities never really sleep – there's clubs and bars. There's the casino – since you like betting so much," he added temptingly.

She lifted her shoulders almost to her ears against the cold. "I doubt I could win another lovely day like today."

"You win enough you can buy your own spa," he joked, as he watched her drop her shoulders back down. There was a large space between her bare neck and the coat. "There's your problem," he informed her as he reached forward and pulled her coat's collar higher around her neck. "You're not wearing a scarf. Athosians don't wear scarves?"

She looked down at herself as he let go of the collar and it fell back down, leaving her lovely neck still exposed to the cold. "We usually wear coats that protect the neck better than this," she replied. "I had not anticipated it being quite so cold tonight."

"Here, you can have mine," he told her as he reached up to his own scarf, pulling it free from where it was tucked into his coat, and lifted it over his head.

"Your neck will be cold," she argued.

"I'll live, the bowtie will keep me warm," he joked as he stepped closer and lifted his scarf over her head, wrapping it down around her neck, trapping her hair against her.

She reached up and slid her hand past his as she moved to free her hair. He watched her tilt her head as she gracefully freed her hair in one sweep of her hand. He dropped his eyes back to the scarf still in his hands and lifted it more securely around her neck. He drew the ends of the scarf together in front of her throat, feeling the subtle touch of her warmth from the gap around her collar. Her body heat held the scent of the spa's oils, the flowery girly variety, and he wondered if her back had been completely bared for her massage.

He twisted the ends of the scarf into a loose knot to trap in the warmth around her throat, cutting off that lovely smell from him but keeping her warm. He released the scarf, only to reach in again to adjust it. As he did, he glanced up at her eyes and saw them dark and warm on him. He tightened the knot so that it sat more securely around her and her hands slid down the scarf to help. He dropped his gaze from hers as their hands touched on the scarf. It was a tiny little touch, nothing really, but he was feeling so sensitised to her, so lost in the moment. He was standing closer to her than he ever normally would, her scent lingering around him, and they had spent such a great day together.

He wanted to touch her. To kiss her.

He looked up from the scarf, aware that he was finally at that moment he had been seeking - the moment in which he could look into her eyes and find out if he had been imagining the chemistry between them.

He felt nervous and hopeful as he looked up to her eyes, prepared to step back and drop his hands casually away from her if he had to.

---------

The warmth enclosed her throat and he stood closer, adding the subtlest extra warmth, as he slowly set the scarf around her. The material was soft and warmed completely through with his body heat. That fact made the skin of her neck feel amazingly sensitive and a small shiver passed through her in response, which she hoped she had hidden as she had freed her hair. The soft warmth of his scarf surrounded her neck, and the last remnants of the chill that had lingered between her chest and chin since they had left the ballet was banished as he tied the scarf closed.

He was so close, the smell of him so intense that she struggled not to simply close her eyes and breathe him in. The spicy scent from his massage was only vaguely present behind the normal scent of him, and she wondered if he had showered before the ballet. Had he cleaned himself, returning his normal scent to his body? She swallowed at her thoughts which had turned so sharply towards imagining him bare of his clothes. She was not given to moments of such fancy normally, but he was so close, his presence wrapping around her like he was casting a spell upon her. She inhaled again and that wonderful masculine scent filled her senses, containing that unique essence that was John. She dropped her gaze down to the dark shadows of his throat and had the most unexpected urge to lean forward across the tiny distance it would take to press her nose and lips to his throat. She could not remember feeling so drawn to a man like this, to push past her own cultural customs to move towards him, seek him out and find out for herself if he may look upon her as a woman, rather than as a female friend.

She lifted her eyes back up to his face, the lights of the tall building in the distance behind him arching softly around him, causing the darkness of his hair, eyes and the handsome definitions of his face all the more apparent. His hands dropped away from her then and she almost murmured in denial that the moment was sadly over. She met his eyes, trying to compose herself and to form the words to thank him for his thoughtfulness, for giving her his warmth at a loss to himself, but she could not find them. He gave her a light smile and she wanted to smile back, but she feared even parting her lips.

The scarf settled against her chest and she felt the slightest touch of a chill under her chin. He reached towards her again, his hands returning to the scarf and she felt the last chill disappear, but it left the greatest heat in his wake. She slipped her hands down the scarf towards his, not sure if she wanted to communicate her thanks by something other than with words, which she continued to be unable to find, or was it simply to touch him in return. His hands were warmer than his scarf had been and he abruptly stilled at the contact. She felt his gaze upon her and she feared that she had betrayed herself, that she had given away her desire with such a small touch.

She held her breath, building her courage to meet his eyes, but he was so close, so… She lifted her gaze to properly meet his. The touch of him grew warmer under her fingers and she realised she had slid them ever so slightly over his hands, once again betraying herself to him.

And then she was looking into his eyes, finding them wide and dark. His expression was tight, as if he too was holding his breath, but as she held his gaze she did not see the surprised shock she had feared. Instead she saw the caring affection still remained, but now there was…a question. Their gazes held, and when the point arrived when one naturally broke eye contact theirs did not. His eyes were dark, very dark, and as she watched they seemed to shift, opening or softening until the content of his expression became very clear. She had seen a subtler version of this expression of his before she now realised, and it had always had the ability to warm her heart and speed up its rhythm.

It was an expression she had been seeing far more frequently lately, but more so today, and finally she truly understood it. Suddenly she recognised moments from across the years between them when she had felt this look upon her in its weaker state, and finally it all came together into one sweeping sense of rightness. All these years she had been hiding her own looks of affection for him, only to find that he had been doing the same. But he was not hiding it now. Now, his eyes studied her in an entirely new manner and it flushed her body through with heat, but it also made her feel simply…so happy.

His lips shifted slightly and she realised she was smiling up at him, which he was returning. She deepened her smile, hoping that he could see in her what she saw in him. His eyes dropped, settling on her mouth, before lifting back to meet her gaze and he was suddenly closer.

She drew in a breath of anticipation as she stepped towards him as well, her hands dropping from his and the scarf to touch against the rough warm texture of the front of his coat. Under the fabric she felt the wall of his chest and it thrilled her as she tilted her head up towards his descending mouth.

There was no pause, no moment of careful consideration or question, their lips met together and she closed her eyes in delight.

His lips were warm and far softer than she had expected, both in the feel of them against hers and in the way he gently brushed his mouth against hers. She inhaled with a sigh of pleasure as they repeated the touch. A soft caress of lips against lips, noses brushing slightly, cheeks grazing. She murmured with pleasure at the caresses and as she drew in her next breath her lips parted slightly and she felt him do the same, their breaths mixing. He pressed back closer, mouth enclosing her lower lip and she returned the kiss. Their mouths parted with a soft sound and pressed together again, and she thought it was the most wonderful music she had heard, surpassing all the glory of the ballet.

His mouth pressed and moulded against hers once more before they parted properly from each other. She opened her eyes slowly, licking her lips as she did, enjoying the new taste of him across them. A deep sense of happy pleasure filled her, made her aware that she had been leaning against him far more than she had realised, yet she did not pull back.

She looked up at him, now closer than ever, his warmth around her more completely than before. His lips were freshly damp as well and she felt unbelievably joyful to see the subtle smile to them before she looked up to meet his eyes.

He didn't look away from her, he didn't pull back or look uncomfortable, instead his eyes travelled over her face. His fingers touched against her cheek, the true feel of him blocked by the material of his gloves, but it still did not detract from the meaning. She shifted her gaze across his face in return, the dark eyelashes lowered over his eyes more than normal, the lines of his cheekbones and jaw. There was barely the faintest darkening to his chin and jaw this evening following his shave at the spa. His cheeks had felt smooth enough against hers, but she wanted to slide her fingers along his jaw. The gloves would block the sensation she was craving, so she refrained…maybe later.

She lifted her gaze back to his eyes to meet his gaze, before he grazed his fingers from her cheek, brushing her hair back over her shoulder. His eyes followed the movement for a moment and then met hers again.

"Warmer?" He asked, his voice softer and deeper than normal, a nice private tone of a whisper that somehow made her feel all the more.

She nodded slowly. "Very much so," she replied aware that she was also speaking softly, unwilling to break the spell between them. They could just have easily have been stood alone back in the hotel room and not stood outside in the open. Perhaps it was the darkness and silence immediately around them that created such a sense of an isolated space. Or perhaps it was John's arm sliding around her, holding her in his embrace as he once again touched his gloved fingers of his free hand to her cheek. She leant her cheek into the touch and she let her eyes slide shut to enjoy it. She did not mind that he would understand how intensely such a touch of affection made her feel – she wanted him to know. She felt him dip his face close to hers again and his lips pressed over hers once more.

As they parted again she opened her eyes to look up at him and he smiled at her. She felt so joyful, so wonderfully surprised by his affection and a place in her heart that she had held for him blossomed.

Then John looked away, his eyes shifting to movement nearby. Teyla glanced to her right with John to see the stall vendor moving past them, his wares rolling before him. He smiled at them, touching his hand to his cap.

"Evening, folks," he said politely, but there was clear amusement to his smile.

John cleared his throat. "Evening," he replied as the man continued on away from them. She and John watched as the man's back blended into the dark away from them. John glanced back down at her, his hand that had been against her cheek had now slid around her back, completing the circle of his embrace. "Think we were putting on a show for him there," he muttered as she met his eyes again.

She grinned up at him, nodding her agreement, wondering what such a stranger would think at seeing their kisses. Clearly he would have had no knowledge of how long in arriving this moment had been for her, nor would he understand how warmly she felt, the day more magical now than ever.

And with that interruption the more natural balance of the world had returned and she was once more aware of the large public space around them. Though covered more thoroughly than before with his scarf, and with John's warmth around her, she became aware of the cold air again. And as she looked at John she saw his more usual caution had returned to his expression, but the softness was still remained.

"So," he began, "how about we head back to the hotel and see if there's another old movie on the tv?"

She grinned up at him. "I would love to," she replied.

His arms loosened from around her as they pulled back from each other and she had to drop her hands from his front. Though as he pulled his arms from around her, one hand slid down her arm and they interlinked their gloved hands before they turned to walk away.

She looked back towards the dark ice rink and where the coffee vendor had stood. She had no doubt that she would remember this place with a wonderful happy clarity from now onwards, but she still looked round once more, up at the tall surrounding brightly lit buildings. It was a perfect end to a wonderful day, but she no longer felt the sense of disappointment she had before, she could walk away happily now, because she had found something far more wonderful.

---------  
TBC


	10. Chapter 10

**Part**: 10/?

---------

It was wonderfully warm in the hotel compared to the unusually cold San Franciscan night. On their walk back to the hotel and through the lobby they had heard people talking about the possibility of snow tonight. It had been decades since there had been snow here and everyone seemed clearly excited about the possibility, but John really didn't care. He had been far more interested in the fact that he had been holding Teyla's hand all the way back to the hotel, her hand tucked into his coat pocket alongside his to keep it warm.

She had felt amazing in his arms and if it hadn't been for the air's chill and his very clear awareness of how little she wore under her coat, he would have stayed out there in the quiet square kissing her. But instead she had willingly accepted his invitation back to the hotel, to his room with a room service order of coffee for two on its way up.

In the crowded elevator ride up from the busy ground floor of late evening diners, he had kept his attention on her. In that small space surrounded by strangers he had let his eyes wander over her face like he had never risked before. She had pulled her gloves off in the lobby, tucking her hand around his arm again on the way through, and now she had loosened his scarf around her throat.

The elevator stopped at the sixth floor and a few people left, only to be replaced with several more on their way up to the roof to see if it would snow. Everyone shifted back in the elevator car to make more space, and John slipped his arm around Teyla to 'assist' her further back into the more comfortable space of the closest back corner. She lifted her beautiful smile up to him, her body leaning against his in return and he felt that wonderful sense of possessive excitement again.

"It may snow, dear," an older woman whispered from the front of the car towards an older man next to her. "It would be wonderful to see it."

"It's not likely that it will," the man muttered back.

"Well I hope it does," she replied with clear excitement.

"The chances of snow fall in this area of the US are low as it is, and with this year's overall temperature readings…" he replied, sounding very much like a scientist John knew. He glanced at the man through the crowded car and then back down to Teyla, who saw his look and smiled herself.

"Don't spoil it, dear," the woman argued in a loud hushed voice.

"I'm just saying…"

John leant slightly closer to Teyla. "That's probably what Keller is having to deal with right now."

She let out a breathy chuckle. "I am sure they are doing fine," she whispered back, still backing her corner though the bet was over.

The elevator stopped again, but this time it was their floor. "Excuse me," he ordered as he stepped forward, his hand against Teyla's back to help her through the press of people. As they stepped into the empty corridor John glanced back at the older couple just inside as the doors closed. The woman was full of eager excitement and the guy looked like he was bored and put upon. The doors shut on his "Yes, Dear."

John looked at Teyla to see that she had seen it as well. "That could be them in the future," John told her amused as they turned down the hallway towards his room. He wondered if she would want to stop at her room first, but he didn't ask because he hoped she wouldn't and that she would stay in her lovely dress for the rest of the evening with him.

She looked up at him with a teasing look. "I thought you did not believe they are likely to last?"

"I wanted to get you on the golf course," he admitted.

She laughed lightly, her hand sliding around his arm again. "And instead you spent the day at the spa and the ballet," she replied with clear laughter in her voice.

He looked down at her as they turned the corner. There was a new openness to her laughter that suggested she had been curbing her amusement before now. He glared down at her, trying to summon some indignation, but he felt just too pleased with how the day had turned out to really feel it. Her playfulness was far too attractive anyway, the sparkle in her eyes at his expense just made him like her even more. He tucked his hands into his pockets, both her hands around her elbow, and without her gloves on anymore the heat of her touch was stronger. "Rub it in," he mumbled at her.

She laughed again, but it faded a little at the end. "You could have very easily have been right," she admitted.

They had reached his door, and as yet she had made no indication that she was going to leave for a bit, so he dug into his pocket for his key card.

"They have not been getting along as well as before," Teyla continued as John slid the card into the door's handle and the lock freed. He pushed the door open for her and as she entered in front of him he reached to the wall and triggered the lights.

"Rodney told me that seeing Katie Brown made him think about how compatible he and Keller really are," John told her as he followed her into his room. It was almost an exact double for her room, other than the décor was towards the red and greens, whereas her room was blue and white. Back in the hotel he felt more relaxed, though eager to get more comfortable – starting with making the room a little bit more romantic.

"He did?" She asked.

"He thinks he's more like Katie," he told her as he headed past her towards the wide windows across the room. He pulled the thick heavy curtains across the sitting area's large window, looking out briefly as he did to see that as yet the city remained snow free. He closed them and immediately set his fingers behind his bowtie, eager to finally be free of it. He turned towards the bedroom area and the other window, glancing back at Teyla as he did.

"I suppose he is correct in many ways," Teyla considered where she stood, her concentration focused on unbuttoning her coat. It was strange he realised that though the two of them had been so invested in Rodney and Keller's relationship, they hadn't discussed it properly with each other. He felt a sense of relief at being able to share with her again. He hadn't realised how much he did before now.

He pulled off the bowtie and threw it on the bed and turned to unbuttoning his own coat. "He said he was worried Keller might be losing patience with him," he reported as he quickly hung his coat and jacket over the back of a nearby chair.

"I would think that is a commonly held fear for most couples," Teyla suggested thoughtfully from the sitting area and he heard her pulling herself free of her coat. He pulled off his waistcoat and freed the top button of his shirt, finally feeling properly comfortable again. He considered her words and they took on an entirely fresh meaning in light of what had happened between them tonight. They hadn't talked about it yet, though clearly she wasn't about to retract it all, but the subject of being a couple hadn't been discussed. He set his cufflinks on the side as he headed to the window and pulled the curtains of the bedroom area closed.

"I guess," he conceded over the rattle of the curtain rail above him.

"I wonder," she said softly. "If perhaps he admitted this to Jennifer - maybe that is why they have repaired things so clearly between them."

He headed back towards the sitting area to stop short, seeing her looking down at her feet. The skirts of her dress were slightly raised as she stepped out of her dainty shoes. A flush of arousal went through him as he watched her stocking covered feet touch down on the thick carpet of his hotel room. The dress's hem lowered again and her feet disappeared behind the material. He watched as she stepped lightly and carefully, as she always did, towards the sofa.

She looked towards him with a waiting look, clearly expecting him to reply.

"Could be," he agreed as his brain returned to their conversation. "But Rodney did say they hadn't gotten on all that well in India. You gotta wonder how a week with each others' families is going to affect them."

She stopped at the furthest end of the sofa and gathered her dress around her legs to sit down. He saw her eyes drift down him, to where he was adjusting his open collar, before she looked back up to meet his gaze. There had been a new look there that he hadn't seen from her before and it made him feel nicely warm.

"Though it may unify them further," she suggested as she sat down. "Sharing the holiday and dealing with relatives together…" There was the teasing touch of banter in her eyes and tone again, but this time he had no interest in arguing with her.

"Maybe," he replied instead and moved towards the sofa. A light knock on the door stopped him though, for their coffee had arrived already. He headed towards the door and pulled it open to reveal the polite smile of a young man with a silver tray.

"Your coffee, Sir," he reported.

"Come on in," John replied holding the door open. The guy walked to the coffee table and set the tray down.

"Good evening, Ms," the man added to Teyla and John was sure he heard a flirty touch to his voice. John mentally lowered his tip.

"Thank you," Teyla replied, unaware or uncaring to the man's attempted charm. She leant forward towards the tray with interest.

"I've included some complimentary chocolate dipped fruits for you," the guy added as if it had all been his idea.

John rolled his eyes. "Thanks," he said adding an edge of his Colonel-tone to his voice. The guy heard it as he immediately turned from his ogling of Teyla to head back towards the door, his eyes averted from John's. Until he reached the door and he turned back to John with a hopeful smile. John paid him his tip and closed the door on the guy's sneaky peek back towards Teyla.

"These look lovely," she said from the sofa where she was inspecting the free fruits. She was leaning forward, the rather traditional cut to the dress's neckline no longer all that conservative from this angle. John had to smile a little – the young guy had no chance against her.

He reached the sofa and sat down on the edge beside her as he turned his attention to pouring their coffee. "You want sugar?" He asked as he poured out the dark rich liquid.

"Yes, please," she replied. "What is this fruit?"

He glanced down at the plate and to the piece of fruit at which her manicured finger pointed. "That's a slice of kiwi," he replied as he returned his attention to adding the sugar to her cup and stirring it with its sparkling spoon. "You haven't seen them in Atlantis?" He was sure there was kiwi in the city from time to time.

"I do not recall so," she replied as he watched her select a strawberry instead, its tip coated in dark chocolate.

He placed her cup in front of her and turned to adding sugar to his own dark filled cup. She murmured with delight beside him and he looked round to see her biting into the chilled strawberry. A touch of juice coated her lips and he watched her tongue lick out across them. She murmured again with approval as she regarded the strawberry. "These are very good," she reported and John couldn't have agreed more with her.

"They look good," he replied looking down at the half fruit piece in her fingers and then back to her lips as she bit into it again.

She swayed her body against his a little, telling him that she was aware of his extra meaning, as she chewed the fruit. He waited till she finished the strawberry, then he leant in towards her. She lifted her chin and he pressed his mouth to hers again. She made the murmur of approval again and her fingers touched against his jaw. As he pulled back from the kiss he slid the tip of his tongue over her lower lip and he could taste the fruit. As he pulled back further, but still close to her, he licked his own lips tasting the mixture of her and sweet strawberry.

"That does taste good," he told her and he left her to decide if he had meant her or the strawberry.

She smiled at him, and her fingers slid along his jaw. Her eyes dropped to her touch. "That was a close shave," she commented, her fingers sliding up his cheek now. He could feel the vaguest sense of stubble against her fingers, but he only cared about how close she was and that she was touching him so openly, so affectionately.

"I don't smell too flowery do I?" He asked to make her smile and she didn't disappoint. Her eyes were like liquid – dark and sparklingly mysterious to him as she looked down at his chin and neck. Then she leant in closer to him and he moved in to meet her as she touched her cheek to his. It wasn't the fullest part of her cheek, but the area where her mouth began and he felt her in breath as she inhaled against his cheek. He let her take her breath and then he brushed the short distance it took to graze their lips against one another's again.

He watched her lips move away from his and widen with a soft smile. "You do not smell flowery," she reported and her voice was deep and darker than he had heard before. "You smell very nice."

He instantly regretted not having taken the opportunity to draw in her scent when they were pressed so close, but he didn't need to be that close to appreciate her. He dropped his eyes down her throat to the shadow of her cleavage. "That makes two of us," he muttered, drawing his eyes slowly back up the interesting curves and lines of her, enjoying his new freedom to appreciate.

He thought he may have heard her chuckle, but he wasn't sure. Her fingers dropped from his cheek and she shifted.

"You should try the fruit, John," she suggested and he finally broke his wandering eyes from her throat as she leant towards the table again. He glanced down at the plate before them and watched as her fingers hovered over the fruit selection. They had tasted good on her lips, but then he suspected almost anything would.

He blinked his eyes to clear and focus himself a little as he looked down at the plate. It was nicely done – the fruits chilled and partly coated in the dark chocolate. He selected one of the strawberries for himself and bit into it. The sweetness of the fruit was a nice contrast to the bitterness of the dark chocolate and he murmured appreciatively himself as he chewed.

She shifted beside him, reaching for the plate again and this time she selected one of the chilled raspberries. They were definitely a fruit that was a rarity in Atlantis, but they had been in the mess hall more regularly since being on Earth. He watched her place the whole raspberry into her mouth and chew delicately. He could tell from her expression that it was just as good as the strawberry had been. No juice escaped to coat her lips this time and he was both disappointed and relieved – he needed to cool down a little. Last thing he wanted to do was end such a romantic day with jumping her unceremoniously on a sofa.

It didn't stop him thinking about it though, so he turned back to the plate and selected a chocolate coated raspberry for himself before he shifted to sit back in the sofa, leaving her to finish the fruits. He settled back against the comfortable back of the seat as he chewed the sharp raspberry and let his gaze settle on the bare skin of her upper back.

She made another appreciative sound as she ate an orange segment. She leant further forward and as she sat back he saw that she had found the remote. She looked over her shoulder at him with a glance that told him she would be in control of the channel skipping again. He didn't point out that according to her earlier argument that since it was his room and his remote he really should have control, but he didn't care. She pointed the remote towards the tv and it jumped to life with some scifi show. He reached forward for his coffee and sipped the hot brew as he frowned at the very fake monster chasing two people in silver suits down a hallway. Teyla sat back beside him, the plate of fruit in her hand, her shoulder against his and she rested her feet against the edge of the coffee table. John noticed the high polish to her toe nails through her stockings – her pedicure.

"This is not very realistic," she uttered with amusement and he looked back to the tv to see that the monster was wrestling weakly against one of the good guys. It was pretty obvious there was a guy in the monster suit.

He took another drink of his coffee and then reached for one of the orange segments on the plate she held. "This would be when you change the channel," he teased her.

She picked up the remote and the scifi show became a game show, but fortunately she didn't appear interested in that. Next there was the abrupt image of a car chase, tires screeching and sirens screaming. She moved on from that to another movie, this one a dark room with a lone woman easing along the wall, her face full of fear. Teyla put down the remote and selected the last strawberry. John slid his eyes from the horror movie to her face to watch her lips surround the fruit. He made a note to buy her some strawberries tomorrow. She frowned as she chewed.

"Why is she going up the stairs?" She asked gesturing to the tv.

John smiled as he looked at the screen. "It's a horror movie tradition – there's a scary noise outside and the girl goes upstairs." The picture cut to a group of young jocks lost in a dark school. "Now, see these guys - they're gonna split up to find something."

"But, if there is danger, they should remain together or in small groups," she pointed out.

He nodded. "Not in a horror movie," he explained and smiled as on the screen the jocks all decided it would be best to fan out down the dark corridors alone.

"That is foolish," she replied as she turned her attention to the plate and its last two pieces of fruit. "Which would you like? The orange or the raspberry?"

"You have them," he offered.

She looked up at him, nice and close. "Are you sure?" He nodded as from the tv the young girl screamed in terror and Teyla looked round. The raspberry paused before her lips as she watched. "Why is she not defending herself?"

John smiled at the clear disapproval in her voice and he guessed there would be much about the presentation of women on tv that she would not entirely approve. And there probably wasn't going to be much chance of Teyla getting all scared watching a horror movie and needing to be comforted. He grinned at the thought. "It's a dumb movie," he concluded for her.

She nodded as she ate the raspberry and picked up the remote again. Two channels later and the familiar sight of the Golden Gate Bridge appeared. She smiled with a breathy laugh. The camera shot lifted elegantly up and over the bridge, to focus down on one car travelling along it. The image cut to two young women inside the car, both laughing and swaying to music. Names appeared across the scene indicating it was the start of a movie and Teyla set the remote down. They had missed the title so he had no idea what the movie was, but it looked like a chick flick.

He turned his eyes back to her to see her wiping her fingers along her lips, the fruit all gone from the plate. She leant forward and set the plate on the table and returned to his side with her cup of coffee, her eyes on the movie with its bright colours and cheerful music. He watched her lips lift with a smile as she listened to the dialogue, and it occurred to him that he had spent most of the day watching her like this in some fashion. The only difference now was that he was able to openly admire her and let his eyes wander.

She looked happy and relaxed, a state she had been in almost entirely throughout the day and he felt that burst of pleasure again at knowing he had helped give that to her. She had had her day away from the city, had experienced some Earth culture and she was happy. He liked that.

She had always been a very poised and independent woman, but over the years they had seen each other at their best and worst. And the last couple of years had been tough on her. Her people being taken, her unexpected pregnancy and being forced to give birth to Torren on Michael's ship – she had coped with it all and remained standing strong at the end of it. She had feared for her son, had viciously protected him from Michael and then had been taken to an alien galaxy away from her people. Though she said Atlantis was her home she missed her people. That she and Kanaan had separated had only seemed to add to the shadow of her expressions afterward. John had seen it all, but hadn't known what to do about it, especially since the subject of Kanaan had been a sore point for him. But, then two months ago she had begun to appear happier again and he had jumped at his opportunity to help keep that playfulness and sparkle to her eyes again. The bet aside he had enjoyed these past months because he had seen her smile more often than ever before, and today…she had smiled a lot at him. Like he made her happy and he hoped that might be true.

He swallowed down the last of his coffee and leant forward to set the cup on the table. He sat back and lifted his arm up and over her to settle it around her. He had wanted to do this earlier, to hold her against him on her sofa, but it hadn't been the right time…now he had his opportunity and he knew it would certainly make him happy.

She had been engrossed in the movie, but as soon as she felt the touch of his arm she shifted forward so that he could wrap his arm around her back. He cupped his arm around her and pulled her gently further against him and she responded, pulling her eyes away from the movie to settle herself within his arm against his side. She looked up at him briefly with a smile.

They shifted around slightly against each other, finding their most comfortable fit and he enjoyed the way she trailed her eyes over him as they did. He reached up and gently brushed his fingers across her cheek. "I'm glad you enjoyed your day," he told her.

Her smile deepened as she looked up at him with her beautiful dark eyes. "I did," she replied.

"So did I," he said.

"Even though there was no golf?" She asked with a lift of her eyebrows.

He took a breath. "I liked spending the day just with you," he confessed, his fingers trailing down to her chin.

She blinked softly. "And I with you," she replied. Her hand touched against his as he slid it back up to her cheek, cupping her soft face, her hand over his. Her eyes closed briefly, as they had done when he had touched her like this earlier. A deep thrill went through him to see her look of pleasure. He leant in and kissed her gently, the kisses still light and soft and somehow all the more meaningful between them. He pulled back from her, her hand still against his as she blinked her eyes open again. "It has been a most perfect day," she whispered.

He smiled at her words and stroked his thumb over her cheek to her lips, brushing gently down off her full lower lip. "Yes, it has." He let his touch leave her face, but her hand followed his and he slid his fingers around hers, holding her hand now without the barrier of gloves between them.

Her eyes dropped to their joined hands and she smiled. She shifted herself back to her former position, but now up against his side, his arm around her and he liked her purr of pleasure as she settled against him. She turned her face to press her cheek against his chest and he dipped his head to press his lips to her hair, grazing down to her temple. Soft feminine scents of flowers drifted around her hair and he smiled as he pulled back.

From the tv a woman laughed brightly and Teyla turned her face from him, her attention caught by the movie once again.

"Do you mind watching this?" Teyla asked from against him as she had to pull her hand from his to lift her coffee cup to her lips

He glanced at the obvious chick flick and shook his head. "Nope, after all it's your day," he told her as he shifted his arm around her a little more to get more comfortable himself.

"We have finished my activities for the day," she replied as she sat forward and set her empty coffee cup on the table and settled back within his arm, fitting her warm body back against his. "You may now do anything you wish," she told him with just a touch of cheek to her voice.

He lifted an eyebrow at her though her attention was on the tv. "I'll keep that in mind," he told her as he tightened his arm around her, pulling her a touch closer against him as they watched the movie.

------------

She enjoyed the movie and the one that followed, but it was John's presence beside her that thrilled her the most. His arm was around her and as the movie had progressed they had both ended up more settled in the sofa. He had his legs stretched out to the coffee table, the tray having been removed earlier, and his strong bare feet almost reached the other side of the table with the length of his legs. She in turn had her feet tucked against the edge of the table, her knees turned against the warmth of his legs.

"See this is why I don't get these kinds of movies," John complained gesturing to the screen with his arm that wasn't currently around her with his fingers softly stroking up and down her forearm.

She looked up and back at him from her place against him. "That he would chase after her?" She asked with a smile as on the screen the dashing man was madly running through what John had explained was an airport.

"Why doesn't he just call her?" He replied. "He could pick up the phone, call her in France and sort it all out."

She laughed as she returned her gaze to the movie as the man shouted at the large men in uniform who were presumably the airport's security. "How will he know where to call her?" She asked.

"He can work it out. Her cell will probably still work there or her friend at the art school – he could ask her," he reasoned.

She smiled as she looked down at his arm around her. She had pushed the long white sleeve of his shirt back exposing his forearm. She ran her fingers along the skin of his arm, feeling the lithe muscles beneath shifting as he stroked her other arm in return. She liked the play of the hair over his arm against his warm skin under her fingers. "I think he would prefer to speak to her face to face."

The man on the screen yelled and she looked back up from her idle exploration of John's arm to see the man was now running through the airport, only to be tripped up by an old lady, who began to hit him with her handbag. Teyla laughed at the image, along with John, as the music faded out and the man covered his head against the bag as the large heavy hands of security clamped down on his arms. The advertisements began yet again and she muttered at their timing.

"Why do they insist in breaking up the flow of the story," she complained.

"To keep you in anticipation," John replied, his voice relaxed.

"I would think most people would be too annoyed at the interruption to focus on the possible purchases." John chuckled against her, his hand stilling on her arm.

"You want anything else? We can order up some more coffee or something to eat," John offered.

She reached across to his other hand, relaxed against his middle, and tilted his wrist to look at his watch's display. "At this late hour?" She asked.

"Room service is available most of the time in a hotel like this," John replied. "As long as you don't order a full meal or anything."

"No, I am not hungry," she replied as she let his wrist go. "But, if you want anything…"

"I'm good," he replied, his fingers returning to their gentle soft caresses over her arm. She settled her head back against him, her attention vaguely focused on the tv. She could remain like this all night – within John's embrace. She wondered at the time though and whether once the movie was over she should return to her room. It was getting very late and she did not want to keep John up if he actually wished to rest, but she could not see herself wishing to move from here all night.

The screen shifted with the promotions available. She had had many questions about the items and massive stores the advertisements had displayed, but now she and John remained silent, simply relaxed with each other as they watched the screen. They had turned the main lights off some time ago, leaving the room cast in only the light of the television and the light from outside.

"Is that a good price for a couch?" She asked idly.

"It's not bad," he replied. "Thinking of buying one?"

She smiled at the thought. "I do not think they would deliver to Atlantis."

"True, and we probably wouldn't get it in a Jumper either."

She thought that was a shame – she would like a sofa like this one in her quarters. She could snuggle up against John in the evenings like now and Torren would no doubt love to nap on the large seat. There were such large seats in the city, but most of them had been claimed long ago or been reserved for the communal areas of the city. It would be nice though…

The advertisements finished and the movie continued. The man was now seated dejectedly in a small room trying to explain his actions in the airport. The large security men stood over him, looking far from convinced. Then the screen changed to show the woman, watching her arrive at her destination in France, unaware that the man had tried to reach her. She looked sad, yet hauntingly beautiful, as she walked away into the pretty swirls of snowfall.

Back in the airport the big security men were now seated by the man asking him questions about his mistakes made throughout the movie, and clearly these security men were far kinder men than they had first appeared. Then he was free, and they were waving him goodbye as he finally boarded a plane.

"Now, see that would never happen," John muttered. "Any of my guys let someone like that go just because he tells a sweet little story would be in trouble."

Teyla chuckled at that. "I seem to remember an occasion when you agreed to be a host to an alien conscious so that a married couple could say one last goodbye."

"And look how that turned out," he pointed out.

She shifted slightly against him so she could look up at his face. "I think that you have a very romantic soul," she told him.

He looked surprised and huffed a disbelieving grunt.

She turned further against him so she could look up at him more comfortably. His arm remained around her, his fingers transferring from her arm to her back. "Did you not create a lovely day for me today?" She asked. "There was nothing about staying in a hotel, let alone one so luxurious as this, in our bet."

"It's not that luxurious," he argued, but she had the upper hand.

"And taking me for a walk to see the lights of San Francisco, and the ice skating…"

He gave a half-hearted shrug, or as much as he could do so reclined against the back of the sofa. "I just thought you might want to see as much Earth culture as you could."

She smiled at his weak protest. He had given her a wonderful day and even if they had not kissed it would still have been a very romantic day. She shifted in her seat, lifting from him enough to sit up further against him, resting her hand on his chest, hovering over him and he stopped his protesting, his eyes darkening and dropping to her mouth.

"Yes you did," she told him and touched her lips against his.

As she moulded her lips to his she gloried in the reality of what had changed between them, that she could kiss him now. His hand flattened against her back as his mouth pressed back against hers, the heat of his palm against her bare skin. His other hand touched her hair, sliding down to cup the back of her neck. As she caught his upper lip between her own she felt the touch of his tongue across her lip and she parted her mouth further, eager for the deepening of his kiss, licking her own tongue against his lip. He murmured deeply against her, the sound like nothing she had heard from him before, a faint growl of clear pleasure and it made certain parts of her body feel hot and weak. His mouth opened against hers and their tongues met as he invaded her mouth slowly. He tasted of dark coffee with the subtlest touch of sweet fruit and chocolate. She murmured, running her hand up over the warm material of his shirt into the open vee of his collar to touch his skin.

He murmured again as the kiss deepened, his hands tightening subtly against her. His tongue sought deeply into her mouth, abruptly powerfully possessive, and she heard herself moan in response. She would have felt a little self conscious at the unadulterated sound normally, but it so perfectly described how she felt that she repeated it. His hand slid across her back and he pulled her down closer to him. She broke her lips from his for a moment as she turned in her seat to more comfortably rest against him, shifting up closer to him, so that as she pressed back to him she fitted against him, her breasts against the strong planes of his chest. The layers of clothing between them did not lessen the delight she felt at the contact. She heard his intake of breath, and his hand tightened in her hair against the back of her neck as he drew her mouth back to his.

His lips pulled on hers, licking deeply in her mouth, and she felt the shift of the atmosphere between them, aware that she was sliding her leg up over his. His hands shifted, sliding across her back now, one sliding down to her hip, his hand hot through the thin layer of her dress. He squeezed her hip gently and that simple touch, even before his hand slid further down her leg, made her whimper with delight.

His hand stroked down her outer thigh and up again, the material of her dress catching ever so slightly against her stockings beneath. He broke his mouth from hers, nuzzling against her cheek and back across her lips. She inhaled his scent as she caressed her hand up and along his jaw, sliding her cheek against his as his mouth grazed over her cheek to her jaw. She tilted her head back, her eyes tightly closed in delight as his mouth slid down to her throat and she arched her back. He nuzzled that area of her neck again and she smiled at his quick discovery of that place. She felt her body shiver in delight, her knee lifting up his leg a little further in response. He made a deep sound of pleasure against her throat, his hand sliding back along her thigh to squeeze in behind her knee.

He broke his lips from her skin, his arm around her back pressing her chest against his as he crowded his upper body up against her, turning her so that she settled beside him once more, reclined in the loop of his arm. He pulled on her knee and she lifted her legs, swinging them over his lap as his mouth sought hers again. She leant into him, his thighs warm under hers where her legs now lay across his lap, and she cupped his face, enjoying the shifting of his jaw as he kissed her. He nuzzled across her cheek again and she hung her head back, letting his arm support her as she exposed her neck to him. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut as she ran one of her hands up into his hair, clutching at the short strands as his wet mouth slid over her throat.

His hand squeezed her hip again before running down past her knee, his mouth running up her throat. "This okay?" He asked softy against her ear as his hand reached her ankle, finding her stocking covered leg beneath the skirts of her dress.

"Yes," she whispered to him, hearing the sensual tone of her own voice.

As his hand slid up her leg, under the material of her dress, she bent her leg, her knee bumping against his arm as she did. He kissed her throat again, but pulled back looking down at her. His hand reached her knee and stroked down her calf and up again, his fingers sliding behind the tight space behind her knee with it bent. She ran her own hands down his neck to his chest, seeking out the tempting open collar of his shirt once more. She ran her hands under the edges of the open top of his shirt, sliding her palms under the material, tracing the thick planes of muscle under hot skin and hair.

His head was turned, his attention on his hand sweeping up her calf again. With his head turned the stark lines of his neck stood out and she turned her mouth to his neck. She pressed her lips to his throat, breathing over his skin, and kissed his skin with an open mouth. He tasted as good as she had thought. He pressed his cheek against hers, his nose and lips against her ear. He exhaled, his hot breath over her ear, making her murmur and clench her hands against him with her frisson of pleasure.

"Teyla?" He breathed over her cheek and she licked her lips to try and answer him, but no words seemed forthcoming. His hand slid around the outside of her knee, causing her dress to fall partly away from her legs, the gentle weight of it telling her the folds of fabric now hung down the edge of the sofa. She mumbled a reply to his question.

"If we're gonna want to slow this down," he murmured breathily, the tension of his body clear against hers. "Now would be the time."

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TBC  
NOTE – rating will be changing from the next chapter.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Note:** This is now an M rated fic.

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He was rather impressed with himself at having managed to get out the question in his current state.

His body seemed to pound along with his heart, with the arousal that was flooding his system overwhelming his thoughts, except for the one that urged him to tear away her dress to reach the soft woman beneath.

He could feel his hands shaking slightly against her as he tried to keep a hold of himself – not only because he really didn't want to mess things up with her, but also because he suspected that given free rein all he would be capable of would be to pull her skirts up and sink himself into her. That would probably be all it would take for this to all be over the way he was feeling. He didn't want that – he wanted to slowly enjoy, but the fire started by her kiss seemed to be beyond any form of containment.

His only hope was that she would help him, that she would pull her touch from his skin, and that she would calmly regain control of the situation for them.

He made his hand stop on the outside of her knee, squeezing her flesh to stop himself from sliding his hand further up her leg. The heavy weight of the skirts of her dress had fallen away baring all of her lower legs. It wasn't that he hadn't seen her legs before – he had seen them completely bared almost up to her hips with some of her outfits. But, her legs had never been draped over his lap before, and they were parted just a tempting fraction…

Her breath ghosted across his ear, her cheek pressed against his, grazing against his skin as she pulled back to look up at him. Part of him desperately wanted her to move back, yes to slow this down, but a far more forceful and basic part of him hated even that tiny distance between them.

He looked at her, meeting her eyes through the half light of his hotel room. Her expression didn't help him at all – her eyes were dark and her lips were parted; swollen from their kissing. He wanted to crush her back against him, feel the softness of her breasts against his chest, hear her gasp his name as they merged their bodies together. He swallowed and broke his eyes from her lips back up to her eyes. But her gaze was no longer locked with his. Her hands slid out from under the collar of his shirt, grazing across his skin, but then instead of pulling her touch from him her fingers slid to the highest button that held his shirt closed.

"Do you want to slow this down, John?" She asked him, her voice was soft and alluring. Her fingers closed around the button at the front of his shirt, the rasp of one of her nails against his skin was enough to make him draw in his next breath with a faint hiss.

He licked his lips to try and answer her. She looked up at him from under her eyelashes, as her fingers shifted again and the button was freed. He locked his gaze with hers, seeking out any doubt in her eyes, but instead only saw a deep darkness that made his nerves burn brighter. She wasn't going to help him.

"No, I don't," he managed to reply to her question, his voice so rough he could have sworn it should have grated away part of his throat to say it.

Her lips widened into a smile as she looked up at him, her hands sliding back under his shirt, and he leant down to touch his mouth to hers. He released her knee and reached up to cup her jaw in his hand, angling his head to thrust his tongue deeply into her mouth. Licking across her tongue he breathed across her lips, hoping that she understood just how desperately he was for her now. He wanted to touch her gently, to seduce her carefully and thoroughly, but it was like a fuse had been lit and he felt everything was rapidly falling away from his control.

He broke his mouth from hers again, dragging in a lungful of air to try and regain some solid thought process, but she only pressed closer, her breasts flattening against his chest again and he squeezed his eyes shut at the feel of her mouth sliding along his jaw. Her teeth grazed his stubble, sliding across his cheek towards his ear. Her hands caressed across his upper chest, grazing over his nipples, as she breathed heavily against him. That she seemed so ready to lose control herself called to him even more strongly – tempting him to simply surrender to the moment, to tear their clothes away and press himself against her.

He had wanted her for so long, and only now did he realise how much of that want and love was lust. Now she was touching him, her desire for him as clear as his own for her, the fire fought to rage free, fuelled by all these years of repressed desire and the magical feel of her gorgeous body sliding against his. His skin felt hot and smothered under his clothes, so separated from hers by their thin layers of clothing. The few times he had actually allowed himself to imagine them together he had always fantasised that it would be slow and that he would use any and all skill to push her to release after release, and she would kiss him, hold him and they would finally lose themselves to the fire. Reality turned out to be far more overwhelming and his body screamed for release, to touch her, to fill her. He swallowed again as he tried to keep his control, perhaps still find a way to fulfil that fantasy.

She shifted against him, pressing closer as she slid her hands up his neck, to his jaw and hair, her mouth sliding across his cheek. "John," she gasped into his ear, and he simply surrendered to the fire.

He turned his body from hers, sliding his arm under her bent knees and lifted her against him as he stood up. The long folds of her dress hung over his arm as he moved around the coffee table. The bed was only a few metres away, but it seemed too far as he strode through the hotel room with her in his arms. She slid her arm around his shoulders keeping her pressed as close to him as she could, her breath hot against the side of his neck.

He reached the bed finally, set one knee on the end of the mattress and leant forward, laying her on the bed under him. As he pulled back enough to look down at her, her arm sliding from his shoulders, her eyes locked with his. He tugged at his shirt, desperate to get it off his body, as he watched her reach down to the side of her dress, and suddenly she was peeling the top of her dress away from her breasts. He groaned at the sight, barely able to stop himself from tearing his shirt as he pulled it roughly from his arms and threw it away.

She sat up against him, reaching up towards him, and he saw for sure that she was as lost and ready for this as he was. Her taut nipples touched against his bare chest as he wrapped his bare arms around her. Her mouth closed around his lower lip, tugging him into a deep penetrative kiss. He groaned loudly into it, wrapping his arms tighter around her, holding her closer as he slid his hands down her naked back to where the dress was bunched up at her waist. He squeezed one hand between the fabric, stockings and underwear to cup her backside. She gasped his name into the kiss and he dropped his mouth to her throat, leaning forward to lie her back down on the bed beneath him.

Once she was flat on his bed, he pulled his hands free from under her and pulled back again, but only enough to reach down her body. Her hands were already pulling up her skirts for him, but he delved straight under them, reaching up past her thighs, past her hips to her waist under the dress to grasp the top of her stockings and underwear. He pulled them down her legs and she lifted her backside to assist him. He didn't have to lean back to free them from her for she bent up her knees between them and he tugged the underwear free of her feet and tossed it all aside. She began wriggling against the bed, freeing herself of her dress, so he set about freeing himself of the last of his clothing. He had to stand up very briefly from the bed to drop his trousers and boxers to the floor and then he was back, knee by her leg as she threw the large pile of fabric that was her dress aside.

She was entirely naked now as he leant over her. He would have sat back and enjoyed the view normally he was sure, but he was far from that kind of slowness of thought. Instead he was lying down over her, and her hands were on his side and around his shoulders pulling him down to her. Her knee bumped against his stomach as she opened her legs and he shifted himself between them. The full touch of naked body to body would have been overwhelming had he not already been lost in that state. Instead he was only aware of points of the most intense pleasure amongst the blanket state of prowling desperate aroused pleasure - her breasts against his chest, her hands clenching his skin, her mouth against his, the inside of her legs against the outside of his thighs and the scent of her calling to him.

He rested more heavily over her and she groaned his name, her knees pulling right up against his hips. He reached down between them feeling down over her lower belly, brushing past his erection as he did, to seek her out. He slid straight for her opening, finding her already wet and swollen for him. He circled her, pushing his fingers up into her and she moaned loudly against him. He groaned himself at the tight eager feel of her inside and her legs parted away from his hips. He tested once more before he could not wait any longer, and he shifted enough to press the head of his arousal against her opening. He had a moment's hesitation as he pressed slightly into her body. He knew they were both free from infection and that she was protected from pregnancy, due to him accidentally catching part of a conversation between her and Keller, but it had been so long since he had been naked inside a woman. And this was Teyla. The wet tightness of her felt amazing and the moment of brief lucidity was lost back into the wild passion as he pushed into her.

He buried his face into the side of her throat as she adjusted around him and he pushed the final distance to fill her. She groaned against him, her hand fisted up in his hair, her other digging her nails into his back.

"John," she moaned and he groaned against her skin as he felt her squeezing around him.

He pulled his hips back and thrust into her again, burying himself as deeply as he could into her, and he looked down at her as he repeated the motion. She arched her back, her nipples thrusting up at him, her head back as he rocked her with his thrusts.

"Yes," she gasped, her knees pulling up further around him and he caught one between his arm and his body.

The pace was fast and deep and he knew without doubt that this was not going to last long, but he really didn't care. All he cared about was feeling and touching her as much as he could, to lick, to kiss, to thrust and slide into Teyla as he had never allowed himself to imagine that he could before now. He abandoned himself to the natural rhythm his body seemed to have found with her without any build up, with no finesse – instead they simply moved with each other speeding up together and holding each other through it all as they were both swept away on the wave of this powerful burning need.

He trailed his eyes down over her swaying breasts, her belly, her sex meeting his, and then back up to her face as her hands pulled on him, pulling him down over her again. Her mouth sought his and she licked and panted against his mouth, and he ground himself tightly against her - pushing her, begging her with his body to find her release. He desperately needed to hear her low moans become cries of passionate fulfilment. He watched her pull her lower lip between her teeth and he licked across the dents she set in the soft plump lip. She clawed her fingers through his hair, her mouth parting further and finally, climatically, she cried out sharply.

Her body arched under his, a sinuous movement that brought hips, bellies and nipples against each other's. He lifted his upper chest from hers enough to watch her head thrown fully back, her mouth wide open with her moans and his name chanted over and over again. He thrust harder into her, reaching over her with one hand to where one of her own hands was now pressed against the headboard of the bed.

He flexed his hips again as beneath him she opened her eyes, her gaze wild and full of satisfaction. She lifted her hands to him, running her fingers down over his chest, down his belly to just above where he disappeared into her. He slid deep and heavily into her, freezing within the tight clench of her and finally his release arrived. He let go of the headboard, laid down fully over her and wrapped his arms around her as his release fired through his body. Her hands gripped his backside, her legs around his middle as he shuddered out his climax. Her mouth was wet against his cheek and he felt her tightening around him again, her panting breaths loud in his ear.

He groaned loudly and deeply as he emptied himself into her, tightly holding her to him, the tide of absolute passion breaking into a deep wide still peace that was only broken by the need to keep breathing.

--------

She stirred from her light doze, the ache in her legs a niggling distraction from the pervading relaxation that filled every part of her body. She shifted her legs as the ache became more insistent, and she straightened them out from where she had curled them up around John's hips. As she slid her calves down the back of his thighs she enjoyed the grazing of his leg hair against her sensitised skin.

She turned her nose into the side of his neck, drawing in his scent, and closed her eyes tightly once more. The lovemaking had swept her up as if she had been a single blade of grass lifted up and away by hurricane winds. She had surrendered to its power completely and it had been amazingly satisfying. Perhaps later or tomorrow she might find herself a shade embarrassed to think of the sounds and demands she had gloried in with him, but he had seemed as passionate as she had been. His hands had been heavy, yet gentle, over her – touching with clear wild desire and arousal, yet never hurting her.

She stretched out her legs further, enjoying the returning full sensation to them and she smiled against his skin. She had not imagined their first time together would have been so elemental and so immediately satisfying. Just the memory of it all, of his cooling body against hers now, was enough to begin to relight some arousal.

He stirred against her, his body seeming to be as heavy and relaxed as her own and it pleased her to know that she had been able to satisfy him as much as he had for her. She shifted her cheek against his as he lifted his face from her throat, not waiting for whatever comment he felt he should make. She lifted her hands from his shoulders and cupped his jaw as she sought out his mouth with her own.

She kissed him softly and deeply, and he seemed very willing to follow her pace. He felt heavily relaxed against her, his skin warm in her hands, his lips responsive to hers. This kiss was different, for the passion had been freed for now, and as she had done with the physical need before, she now surrendered to the emotion of the moment with him. She gently kissed his lower lip, licking gently and softly over it before sliding her tongue into his mouth, softly and smoothly exploring his mouth in a way that she hadn't been capable before. With her mind clear enough from lust and arousal for now she could simply enjoy the pure sensation of his kiss, and through it express herself to him.

She kissed him as she would wish to be kissed – with feeling, affection and love. She felt abruptly emotional, so many of the gentler emotions having been set aside in the face of wild passion, now she could not ignore them. Now, she let them loose and she slid one hand down his throat, caressing across his shoulders, enjoying the broad masculinity of his body over hers.

His fingers touched against her hair, sliding between the back of her neck and the bed under her, and he pulled his lips from hers. She opened her eyes to him above her, her attention dropping to his lips, but she knew it was a distraction. She felt very vulnerable for a moment, having felt that she had confessed something to him with her kiss, but she had never been one to step away from anything that frightened her. She lifted her eyes up to his, echoing that moment in the square earlier when she had dared to meet his eyes again and find out what the future may hold.

As she looked up at his dark eyes she felt the gentle touch of his thumbs against her cheeks, felt the soft caresses across her skin. She met his gaze and saw nothing but contented pleasure in his gaze. He bent down the small distance between them and pressed his lips to hers again. The soft pads of their lips pressed together, softly, sliding and smooth against each other. She caressed her fingers over his cheek in reply and he pulled back once more to look at her. Their gazes locked again and she smiled up at him happily. The fact that he was so openly and quietly affectionate seemed to say so much coming from him than she suspected it would with any other man. Here his silence and his gentle soft touch told her more about his feelings than if he had confessed out long sentences of love.

Feeling as emotionally happy as she was physically she reached up to kiss him again, sliding her hands over his shoulders. She trailed her fingers across his broad shoulders, feeling his skin was cooling from their lovemaking. Her own shoulders and arms were cooling as well, goose bumps forming over her skin and he noticed. He leant down and kissed her shoulder.

"Maybe we should get under the covers," he suggested and she thought that perhaps his words and tone held a careful question. He was asking her to stay here for the rest of the night, to stay in his bed – as if she would leave now. She smiled up at him before she shifted herself up onto her elbows to shift under the covers. He pulled back enough for her to move, his body held up above hers by the smallest distance it took to give her room to move. The dark room around them was lit with strange patches of light, that she realised were created by the light outside finding spaces around the curtains over the windows. As she watched the light play over John's flexed shoulders and chest above her, she also realised there was more light flickering beyond the bed. She peered around his shoulder to see that the television was still on in the sitting area. John noticed her attention and looked back as well and she saw him smile.

"I'll get that," he offered as he pulled back from her, sitting up on his knees on the bed, the patches of light playing over his naked form as he twisted and climbed off the bed. She forgot the cool air across her skin and her desire to get under the covers of his bed, instead she watched him walk away, admiring his naked back view. He entered the flickering light of the television and regretfully disappeared from her view as he headed back to the sofa they had left not so long ago. She turned her attention to getting into his bed, the cold once again making itself apparent.

She reached up the bed and pulled back the main covering, revealing the pillows and duvet beneath. She sat down the bed slightly as she pulled the cover and duvet down, then crawled back up the bed, turning to slid her legs under the cold sheets. She shifted further under the duvet, the soft plushness of the mattress very welcoming beneath her. As she plumped up her pillow the light of the television shut off, making the darkness even deeper throughout the hotel room, but there was still enough light from around the curtains for her to see John returning to the bedroom area. She glanced at the curtains, amazed at how much light there was at even such a late hour of the night. Piotr had told her that these cities never sleep and she had to agree at seeing so much light being shed in the depth of the night. Not that she disapproved right now, as she watched John approach.

He moved around the bed and she pulled back the top of the duvet on his side for him. The dark shadows played across him, emphasising the natural lines of his body as he slid into the bed beside to her.

"Couldn't find the remote," he reported as he settled into the bed, pulling the covers up.

"It wasn't on the sofa?" She asked, sure that had been where she had left it.

"Found it across the room," he replied with a smile as he turned and plumped up his pillow. "We moved the coffee table as well," he added with a chuckle.

She couldn't help but smile at hearing that. "We did?" She asked, amused but surprised. After turning from the movie to kiss him she couldn't really remember much more than John's body against hers.

He settled down into the mattress, shifting the final small space towards her. "I'm surprised we didn't break the it," he joked as he settled down beside her. She chuckled in agreement as she turned herself to face him, sliding the minute distance left between them to press their bodies back together.

His arm encircled her as they found a comfortable position in which to relax, but maintain as much skin contact as possible. She rested her hands against his chest, enjoying the feel of his skin and body hair again. Now, more mentally focused, she was able to enjoy him even more. She stroked her fingers along the lines of muscle of his upper chest as he tightened his arm around her, his fingers playing softly against her back. The feeling of John warm against her in sharp contrast to the still chilled temperature of the sheets over her naked skin was very enjoyable.

"Sorry, it got a little…you know… out of control there," he said quietly, and his voice suggested that he was worried. She pulled back from him enough to be able to see his face in the broken darkness. His fingers stroked gently against her bare side. "I usually have more finesse than that," he added and she could see his raised eyebrow with his half meant joke.

She smiled at him, reaching up to touch his face again. "I prefer honesty over finesse," she told him, lifting her head from her pillow to press her lips against his. "It was wonderful," she added with feeling. Her body tingled just with the thought of the passion that had sparked between them. His hand tightened against her side, sliding to her back to pull her further up against him.

He pulled back from the kiss slowly and softly, echoing the deep peace she felt as she relaxed back in the luxurious bed within his embrace. His fingers trailed up over her skin, to slide up her throat and caress over her cheek. "I think you're right," he said quietly. She smiled at him and then watched his expression change to his more usual mischievous look. "We wouldn't have had this much fun on a golf course," he added.

She laughed at his comment as he settled back more comfortably beside her. "I would not imagine a golf course being as romantic as today's activities," she said as she ran her fingers idly along his collarbones.

"I would have found a way," he replied with confidence and she smiled at the implication behind it.

"I thought today had been about my winning our bet," she said. "Or has romance been your ultimate goal all along?" She teased him with her question, pretending to sound shocked at the idea, though it thrilled her through and through.

He looked away briefly, a patch of light nicely highlighting his expression, and she saw that he was clearly trying to control the smile on his lips, but she already knew the truth revealed in that tiny moment and so did he. "You're the one who chose the spa and ballet," he pointed out as his gaze returned to her and then he narrowed his eyes at her. "Maybe romance was your goal all along."

She smiled again, her eyes dropping to her fingers sliding back along his right collarbone. "Maybe we are both guilty," she suggested as she looked back up to his sparkling eyes. His eyebrows twitched up slightly implying she had surprised him with that admittance, but the shift to his smile made it clear he agreed.

She traced her wandering fingers lower to settle against his chest, feeling the subtle sense of his heartbeat beneath. She let out a contented sigh as the relaxation began to slide into sleepiness. It was very late and only now did she begun to feel the late hour. Today had been too full of wonderful new experiences and discoveries, but the last had been her favourite. She closed her eyes for a few moments, enjoying the sensations of the duvet over her, the mattress beneath, his warmth beside her and the gentle relaxed motion of his fingers over her stomach. His touch was soft and rhythmic across her skin. She opened her eyes again to the thin patches of alien city light across the ceiling above her. John's hand left her skin and the duvet shifted further over them, containing in the warmth around them and his touch returned to her stomach.

Her eyes drifted shut again and she sighed once more, tucking herself further against him beside her, his skin brushing against hers. She opened her eyes again, resisting the lull of sleep, and she realised that she was still resistant to letting this day end. John's caresses had stopped, and his hand lay still on her belly, but she could tell he was still awake.

"Sleep, Teyla," John whispered from beside her, his voice seeming both intimately close, yet sleepily far away. His suggestion seemed to speak directly to some basic part of her and she closed her eyes a final time to this wonderful perfect day. As she began to drift away into sweet dreams she turned a little further into the warmth that was John beside her, and she laid her hand against the steady beat of his heart.

-----------  
TBC


	12. Chapter 12

**Part**: 12/13

**Rating**: M

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John stirred awake, the sounds of the city outside rousing him due to its unfamiliarity. He opened his eyes to the touches of early morning light breaking into the darkness of the bedroom. He shifted against the mattress, which again registered as unfamiliar to him now, though actually far more comfortable than his usual bed in Atlantis. As he moved his leg brushed against Teyla's and the memories flowed back into place.

As his eyes adjusted to the shadows over the bed he saw that she was laid on her side, turned towards him, barely a handbreadth away. Her hands were folded up against her front, one hand supporting her cheek against the edge of the plush hotel pillow. She looked completely relaxed and comfortable. The duvet lay over them both, reaching up to her bare shoulders, and he reached out under its warmth to slide the cover slightly further up to cover her skin against the cool air.

His fingers brushed against her skin as he did, vividly reminding him that they were both naked under the covers. He settled the duvet over her shoulder to her neck, but he didn't want to pull his touch from her yet, and so trailed his fingers lightly down her arm. Her skin was soft and warm under his touch as he lightly stroked down to her elbow and then lightly along her forearm where it was folded up against her. As he did his fingers encountered the unexpected touch of warmed metal links. He paused at the realisation that she was still wearing her bracelet, the one he had given her – in fact it was all she was wearing. It felt tight around her forearm, no doubt having been pushing up her arm as she slept. He slid her fingertips under the double chain of links and carefully loosened the bracelet down her arm a little. The metal moved freely against his fingertips in its new position and the small butterfly shaped charm met his fingers.

He remembered sitting beside her on Christmas day watching her twist the delicate bracelet around her arm as she admired it, and now he was doing the same – gently feeling the pretty little piece of jewellery, which was warmed through with her body heat.

She shifted, and he held still, filled with a conflicting selection of emotions – anticipation that she might wake up, but also regret that he may have disturbed her relaxed sleep. He watched her face and saw her eyelids flicker and open. It was light enough though for him to see her eyes settle on him and her lips moved sleepily into a soft smile.

"Sorry," he whispered to her. "Didn't mean to wake you." Though it may have been a lie, and her eyebrows twitched in a way that suggested that she doubted him as well, but she was smiling as her eyes drifted closed again.

"You've still got your bracelet on," he informed her as he fingered the charm once more and let it lie back against her skin. He put enough flirtation in the words to remind them both that it was all she wore.

As she chuckled softly, he slid his fingers back along her arm to her elbow and softly back up her arm again. He kept his eyes on her face making sure that she didn't mind, but all he saw was the same smile. He reached her shoulder and then stroked back down her arm again.

"I suppose I should remove it," she uttered sleepily. "I would not wish to break it."

He smiled at that, pleased that she really did like his gift for her. "What do you think you'll be doing that might lead to it getting broken?" He asked flirtatiously.

She chuckled again, and that simple relaxed amusement on her part suggested to him that he was free to continue to disturb her. He ran his hand back up her arm and gently slid his hand around her shoulder. She felt lovely and soft and warm, her body relaxed and wonderfully naked beside him, cocooned under their duvet.

"Way better than golf," he muttered to himself as he trailed his fingers around her shoulder. Her smile widened and her eyes opened again, her dark gaze settling on him.

"What would you have planned if you had won the bet?" She asked, her cheek still resting against the back of her hand.

He wasn't sure if she meant his plans for the day of golf, or his plans to make a move on her. He shifted in the bed, getting into a slightly more comfortable position, and as he did he moved slightly closer to her as he began his answer. "A Jumper ride up to the closest base and then drive to the golf course," he replied as he settled down against his pillow, directly opposite her, only a few inches between them. "18 holes of golf…"

She groaned at that. "Would you really have made me go round the entire course?"

"You made me go to the spa and ballet."

"At least they were enjoyable," she replied with a teasing sleepy smile.

"You haven't even played golf yet," he pointed out. He had settled his hand against her arm, lingering around her elbow as he lay opposite her.

"Ronon said it was not an enjoyable game," she reported.

"Ronon's idea of an 'enjoyable game' is finding new and inventive ways to beat me up," John protested.

She chuckled again, this time with more amusement.

He raised an eyebrow. "I'm beginning to think you two don't like me very much," he suggested.

"You said you enjoyed going to the spa and ballet," she reminded him.

"Only because of the company," he informed her with a lazy smile.

"I didn't know you and Neil had gotten to know each other that well in the spa," she joked, though he had seen her pleasure at his compliment.

He rolled his eyes at her, enjoying her wide smile at his expense.

"And when exactly did I give you the impression that I did not like you very much?" She asked, her tone now full of her own flirtation. He liked her tone and sultry teasing smile.

"You like to beat me up just as much as Ronon does," he told her. "And…" he trailed off, realising that, though her question had meant to be a playful reminder of last night, it had other meanings for him.

She saw his hesitation before he could cover it up and she lifted her cheek from her hand. "What is it?" She asked.

He shook his head to make light of it. "Nothing," he replied, feeling bad for not answering her truthfully, but things were very new with her and he didn't want to mess anything up. But, as he looked at her, she met his eyes directly and he remembered that she wasn't the type of friend to let him hide away when a subject was important. And now she was so much more than a friend…

He cleared his throat as he pulled his hand from her to pat down his pillow unnecessarily, clearing his view of her slightly. "I was going to say, mention, ah, that you seemed to prefer Kanaan before now."

Her expression had been of curious concern at what he had not said, but now her expression shifted to a soft smile. "Before today I was not sure that you felt that way for me in return." He could hear the honesty in her voice, but also a touch of careful hesitancy at her small confession. Her eyes held his and for the first time he felt secure in the knowledge that what had happened between them was not simply a spontaneous act for her. He felt a rush of pleasure at the realisation. He reached across the tiny distance between them and brushed a strand of hair from her cheek, tucking it behind her ear.

"I'd say they were wasted years, but then you wouldn't have had little Torren," he said softly.

He suspected he couldn't have said anything more pleasing for her, because a wide happy grin filled her face and her eyes sparkled brightly. He smiled back at her, and rather than pull his touch from her, he slid his hand back under the duvet back to her shoulder. Her skin was once again soft and warm under his hand.

She freed one of her hands from under her cheek and reached out in return towards him. Her fingers touched against his jaw, stroking down to his chin and she repeated the motion. He lifted his head from his pillow and leant towards her. She met him in the middle, her lips lifting up to meet his. As he pressed his mouth against hers, her fingers warm against his jaw. Their lips danced lightly and softly against each other's and parted with a soft sound. She stroked over his jaw once more before her hand dropped down to his upper chest and she settled back down opposite him.

"So, after the 18 holes of golf, what would have been next?" She asked.

He smiled at her return to that subject. Rather than settle back against his pillow, he set his elbow over it and rested his head on his hand. He ran his fingers around her shoulder again, but made the circle wider this time, stroking round to her upper back, pausing to draw lazy circles against her skin.

"There's a couple of good hotels near the course, so I would have booked us in there," he began.

"We would not have stayed with your brother?" She asked.

"No," he replied quickly. "Dave and I get on a lot better now, but I don't think you would have enjoyed that kind of tense situation. Besides there would be other people staying with him and it wouldn't have been any fun."

"Unlike the golf," she muttered sarcastically.

"Exactly," he replied controlling his smile. He trailed his hand from the back of her shoulder, up following along the subtle lines of her ribcage to her raised side. Her skin was especially soft there, so he lingered again, circling his fingertips against her. "The New Year's party starts at seven - they serve a meal and then there's dancing afterwards."

"Dancing?" She asked with a sparkle in her eyes. "Would you have asked me to dance?"

"Of course," he replied immediately. He slid his hand further down her side, down to the dip of her waist. He watched her expression carefully, to make sure that she didn't mind him touching her like this, but it was clear to him that she liked it. She sighed happily as he ran his hand back up her side. "It would be the only fun thing to do there," he added.

She frowned at him with amusement. "Why would you subject yourself to something you would not enjoy just to punish me at losing the bet?"

He chuckled at her emphasis on the work 'punish'. "Cause, I wasn't intending for us to stay there that long." He ran his hand back down her side, flattening his hand as he did. The motion moved the duvet a little, revealing her bare shoulders once again, and this time he didn't move to cover them back up.

"Where would we have gone?" She asked clearly very curious as to what he had planned if he had won.

"I was thinking maybe to one of the local New Year's parties. There's a couple of large outdoor parties that anyone can go to. Possibly find one with a Ferris Wheel."

She smiled at that. "I would have enjoyed that."

"There're usually loads of fireworks, hot soup and drinks available. We could have found a spot somewhere to put down a blanket and sit and watch it all."

She smiled wider. "That's sounds like it would have been enjoyable."

"See," he told her, pleased at her response. "I told you it would've been."

"Except for the golf part," she pushed. He gave her a mock glare. "Though," she began. "I did try some of the putting."

"You did?" He asked pleased.

"Yes, it was quite fun," she admitted and he smiled as he let his eyes wander down to her bared upper shoulders, and he ran his hand back up her side. He really wanted to push the duvet back so he could see his hand sliding over her skin, but the air was a little cool. Her hand that had been resting against his chest now moved, her fingers sliding against his skin, tiny little movements that still it up his nervous system.

"And would it have been on that blanket under the fireworks that you might have kissed me?" She asked. Her voice held a new deeper, alluring tone now and he lifted his eyes back to hers.

"It might," he replied, his own voice deeper. He trailed his hand back down her side, stilling his hand at her waist, the swell of her hip just beginning under his fingers.

"Had you planned what you would do?" She asked.

He smiled softly at her curious flirting tone. "I prefer to be more spontaneous," he told her as he leant forward and pressed his lips to the top of her arm bared from the duvet.

"And what about you?" He asked as he kissed further up her arm towards her shoulder, as under the duvet he slid his hand up over her bare hip. The duvet shifted as he did, pulling down to reveal more of her upper body. The early morning light from around the curtains highlighted patches of the smooth skin of her shoulder and back.

"What about me?" She asked. He liked the way her voice sounded a little breathless.

"You admitted that you had romance on your mind with this trip," he replied. "Had you planned anything? Any moves you were going to make on me?" He asked with a smile as he pressed his lips to her shoulder again, and pulled back to look down at her. He stroked his hand back down from her hip, right along the length of her body back up her side to her shoulder. He felt a subtle shiver go through her as he did.

Her eyes were richly dark as she gazed up at him, her hair across the pillow beneath her. "I prefer spontaneity as well," she replied. Her hand still lingered over his chest, but her other hand now slid over his shoulder.

"No moves you were planning on making?" He asked as he looked back down to her body, where the duvet had shifted even lower revealing more of her side. Her arm lay over her breast, but he could see the soft lighter area at the outer swell and he dipped his head and pressed his lips to the soft skin.

She made a nice murmur of pleasure that spurred him onwards. He slid his hand back down her side, but this time he pushed the duvet out of the way and watched his hand slide over her waist and then up the curve of her hip. He pushed the duvet further away, exposing the tops of her legs. He ran his touch around the curve of her hip and backside to her upper thigh and then back up, over her hip to her waist and he dipped again and pressed another kiss to her side.

Her fingers in return had glided up the back of his neck, squeezing slightly as she did, massaging up his nape and into his hair, as he kissed slightly lower on her side. He lifted his head and looked back at her face, to find her attention directed down his back, where he felt her other hand sliding, caressing and he paused as he enjoyed her fingers trailing up his spine. Then she shifted, rolling fully onto her back beneath him and her arms moved away from her chest and he dropped his gaze to her bared breasts.

He didn't rush back up her body though, instead he bent down and pressed his next kiss to her belly, just above her belly button, sliding his mouth up over her soft, scented skin. His mind began quietening, lost in the moment of how she felt beneath him, offered so willingly to him. He lifted his head from her, just before he reached the lower swells of her breasts and looked up at her face once again. She smiled softly at him, her face relaxed and he could see the pleasure that he was giving her.

He grazed his hand up her side, then round to trail his fingers gently around one of her breasts. The nipple noticeably tightened under his touch and he looked back up at her face.

"You're so beautiful, Teyla," he whispered to her. He was pretty sure he hadn't told her that before, though surely it was obvious, but right now she amazed him not only in the beauty of her body in the early morning light, but everything about her made him tighten, his own body responding to her. She was beautiful to look at, but she was also a powerful and honourable woman. She could fight, defend his back, be a mother, a lover and a leader. She humbled him and for a moment he wasn't sure if she was making the right choice by being here with him.

Her hand, that had been gently massaging his neck, slid up one side of his jaw. She settled her palm against his cheek and she smiled.

"Kiss me, John," she said softly.

He wasn't sure where she wished him to kiss her, but he had more than a few suggestions, but for now he leant over her towards her mouth. She lifted up slightly to meet his mouth and her tongue immediately slid across his lips. He responded, sliding into the heat of her mouth, seducing her as much as he could with that simple task. As he did so he trailed his fingers over her breast again and this time he felt a clear tremor through her at his touch. Driven by that clear response he cupped his hand around the swell of her and ran his thumb over the tightly puckered nipple. Then he slid his hand over to the other, running his fingertips around the smooth lines of her.

She broke her mouth from his to gasp a breath and he pulled back from her mouth and leant down over her. Her hand tightened abruptly in his hair, indicating she knew his intent. He smiled as he cupped his hand around the lower edge of her breast and then covered her nipple with his mouth. He flattened his tongue against her and she arched her back. Her nipple felt like velvet against his tongue and the taste of her skin held something indefinable that made his senses tingle and his groin grow heavier.

---------

His mouth was hot and wet over her, his tongue sliding around her nipple, creating a torrent of sensations that burned out through her chest and down to her belly. She gripped his hair as he lifted his mouth, nuzzling across her cleavage, and she opened her eyes to look down herself to watch his mouth surround her other nipple and the wonderful sensual assault began again. She closed her eyes again, all her attention focused on him, on his hands on her, his tongue, his lips, his arousal clearly pressing against her hip.

He had asked her if she had planned any romantic moves to use with him, but she would never have imagined she would have been lucky enough to be in this position. And his touch sparked off a deep lustful desire that, though calmer than last night, was still just as powerful. She opened her eyes again, looking back at him as he slid his mouth up between her breasts. She ran her hand from his hair, down over the glorious shifting expanse of his shoulders and back that she could see from where she lay. She ran her fingertips over the sliding lines of toned lithe muscles under his skin and she felt a renewed burst of arousal at the primal strength of him under her touch. That this was actually John, her John, touching her like this…

He kissed up to her throat and she angled her head to one side as he latched onto her sensitive skin and she whimpered with pleasure. One of his arms came to a rest by her shoulder, his weight supported partly by his forearm, leaving his tightly flexed upper arm by her shoulder. She ran one hand to his shoulder and down the thick arm, running her fingers around the lines of him, that she had seen so often before, but had never been allowed to touch like this before.

That freedom and excitement of his very real attraction for her broke some last restraint she had been holding back and she turned her face into his throat in return. She pressed her lips to his skin, licking the small patch isolated between her lips. She stroked her arms up around his neck, pulling herself up tighter against him and she pressed her breasts right up against the teasing tingle of his chest hair against her nipples. He pulled his mouth from her neck, sliding across her cheek and she turned to meet the kiss. As they kissed, she pushed up further against him, pushing at one of his shoulders and as he pulled back at her request to roll onto his back, his arms slid around her and he pulled her with him.

He rolled fully onto his back and she broke from his kiss as she lifted a knee up over him, straddling him, and then pressed her mouth back to his. He made a deep sound of approval from deep in his throat as his hands roamed over her back. His hands were wonderfully warm, especially as the duvet was now completely absent, but she did not care, she was far from cold. His hands circled against her back, down towards her backside which he then cupped with both hands. She broke her mouth from his with a smile as he squeezed her backside tightly. He was smiling as well as she pulled up from him a little.

"Would this be one of your moves?" He asked, his eyes dark and his lips swollen and wet from their kissing.

"It may be," she replied as she kissed him again briefly and then set her hands against his chest and sat up over him. As she did, the bracelet slid down her forearm, where it had been caught up, and encircled her wrist. She saw him notice and his eyes dropped to the movement and then back up at her again as she settled her weight over him, drawing her knees closer to his sides. The night air surrounded her, but John's expression chased away any of the vulnerability or chill she might have felt.

"Teyla," he whispered as his hands slid around her hips and then up her front. She leant forward a little to be able to lay her own hands on his chest, and at the same time his hands covered her breasts. She sighed at the pleasurable sensation, closing her eyes for a moment and dropping her head back. "I like your moves," he uttered as he massaged her breasts gently. She chuckled at his words and opened her eyes to look down at him again.

She ran her hands down from his throat, over the flat plains of his upper chest, circling her fingers through his light amount of chest hair. She reached his nipples and looked up at his face as she circled those flat areas with her fingertips. His eyes became more hooded and she knew that he liked to be touched there, so she increased her touch and his lips parted further. His thumbs rubbed over her nipples in response. She ran her hands further down him, over the lines of his naturally toned stomach, enjoying the subtle way he tensed slightly under her touch, his breath hitching as she ran her fingers around his belly button. She repeated the circle, her hand very close to where she was sat astride him, and she could feel his arousal against her backside.

One of his hands drifted down her stomach and it grazed just past the junction of her thighs, off along her upper thigh. She lifted her eyes to his to see the subtle teasing touch to his expression. His hand soon slid back up her thigh though and his eyes dropped down her. She kept her eyes on him though as he ran his thumb up the inside of her thigh and paused just before he reached her most sensitive area. His eyes lifted back up to hers and, despite what they had shared last night, there was still a question in his expression. She smiled softly hoping he understood her invitation, and it appeared he did because his hand moved once more. His thumb rubbed over her very lightly at first, but it still sent a frisson of sensation through her and she pressed her legs closer to his sides, liking the feel of his hips against her legs, and lifted herself slightly. He took the further invitation and his thumb slid further, circling straight for where her sensations had been partly focused. She cried out at the contact, and she lifted one hand to his forearm, sliding up and down his skin encouragingly. She rotated her hips against him and the sensations increased.

His eyes lifted up from his hand between her legs and she saw the same harsh tension to his expression as she had seen last night – he was highly aroused. That she could bring him to that point filled her with even more pleasure and she rubbed herself against him further. His expression shifted again then and a smile returned to his lips. He shifted his hand, turning it and suddenly his fingers were all cupping her, moving together and circling right where she wished them. She broke her eyes from his, her head too heavy to hold up, so she let it fall back. One his hands remained on one of her breasts, squeezing and massaging, and set her free hand over his hand, clasping at him as he pleasured her.

Then he slid his hands from her and she opened her eyes at the loss, only to see that he was sitting up against her, his hands on her hips lifting her and then pulling her against him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he sat up against her, enjoying his body against hers, and as they pressed closer she could feel his sex trapped between their bodies. She rubbed her belly against him slightly and he groaned against her throat as he set his mouth to her skin again. One of his arms was locked around her, holding her securely against him, but his other hand slid down her back to squeeze her backside once again.

He pulled back from her throat and she looked down at him from her slightly higher perch over him and he smiled. "This would be one of my moves," he whispered as he squeezed her backside again and then lowered his touch, his fingers once again sliding between her legs. She parted her legs further around him, now able to lean against him for some support, as he caressed his fingers against her most intimately.

She closed her eyes at the sliding glorious contact. She murmured in delight and his lips pressed against her throat again. He caressed his fingers slowly across her, to circle her entrance and she moaned, rubbing back against his gentle exploratory touch.

"You like it here?" He asked as he repeated his last touch, sliding around just inside her entrance and she moaned as she nodded. He repeated the touch again, but then moved away, caressing elsewhere, building her to a steady growing peak of pleasure.

She leant back slightly from him so she could once again turn her attention to sliding her hands over him. She bent her head to kiss his neck as he did hers, sucking on his skin. His breath was hot over her skin as he pulled his lips from her and she explored his throat, nuzzling up to his ear, and as she breathed over it she felt him shudder slightly. She smiled at her discovery and as she licked his earlobe into her mouth she ran her hands down his chest, squeezing one between their tightly pressed middles, to slide down towards his hot hard flesh pressing urgently against her belly.

She felt him tensing even before she touched him, so she gentled her touch, sliding her fingers down him, to properly learning his length and width. He shuddered again and his fingers stilled against her. He felt thick and anxious for her within her palm and she gently slid her fingers back up to his tip and circled.

"Teyla," he groaned against her and she felt him pulling back slightly. She understood that it was too much for him, so ran her hand back up his front and he relaxed a little against her. She set her mouth against his cheek, turned from her slightly, his eyes closed as he breathed heavily. A part of her was thoroughly thrilled at how far she was able to push him, such a clear sign of his desire for her, but she also understood that he needed a moment. She gave him a second and then kissed his cheek again, her mouth open and she licked his skin again. He turned his head immediately and met her kiss. This time he did not hold back and he thrust his tongue into her mouth, mimicking exactly what he was planning as his fingers moved against her again. She wrapped her arms back around his neck and pressed her chest fully back against his.

Between her legs, his fingers circled her once more and then slowly pushed up into her. She broke the kiss to arch back at the penetration, moaning in delight. He slid his fingers from her and his hands moved to her hips. She lifted up slightly from his lap and shuffled even closer. One of his hands was between their bodies, and he guided their joining. She adjusted herself over the head of him, looking down at his face as she began to settle down over him. He stretched like she remembered last night, but it was not painful. She paused to accommodate him, allowing her body to relax at the amazing feel of him. Her insides felt ready to burst with her orgasm, but it was too soon, so she held still.

He was breathing fast and she thought there was a tiniest amount of tremor to his hands where they held tightly to her hips. She settled her weight lower, taking more of him and he let out a sigh of satisfaction as this time she did not stop. He closed his eyes and let his head drop back as he was finally filling her. She smiled at his reaction and waited for him.

He let out a long breath before he opened his eyes and looked up at her finally. His eyes were wide and he looked slightly stunned, but there was a smile on his lips. She shifted a little more comfortably against him and the internal caress made her sigh. His hands slid up her back, his grip tight.

"God, you feel so good," he muttered.

She wrapped her arms tighter around his neck and leant in to kiss short kisses to his lips, and as she did she rocked herself slightly. She licked over his lower lip, drawing it in between her teeth as she rocked again. His hands tightened around her back and he muttered again.

"Teyla, that feels real good."

She repeated the motion as she pulled back to look at his face. He ran his hands around to her front, his eyes dropping down to her breasts again as he cupped and massaged again. She murmured her pleasure. "John, yes."

He lifted his hips from the mattress pushing himself up tighter into her and she groaned with the feeling, timed just for when she rocked.

He groaned as she lifted her self up from him and sat down again. The internal caress felt wonderful and she repeated it, setting her hands against his chest for leverage. As she settled downwards she looked at him looking up at her and there was a forceful new connection there as they moved together. She repeated the action and her pleasure almost spiked. He felt it, for his hands tightened around her and he whispered her name against her throat.

She leant back from him though, reaching back with her hands to the bed to support herself as she leant backwards from him. She moved slowly and carefully so as to not hurt him within her. Until finally she was leant back from him, the two of them still joined, his hands on her hips supporting her. His eyes slid appreciatively down her body, and she did the same of his, to see where they were joined. She pulled backwards, taking more of her weight onto her hands, as she slid from him slightly and then she pushed back, taking him inside again. It felt wonderful and John groaned, his hands gripping her to help her move with the next slide. They moved like that together, building the pressure and she dropped her head back lost in the sensation.

His hand moved from her back with the next glide, pulling gently at her left knee. She lifted it, setting her foot to the mattress. The new position gave her more control and he ran his hands up her back which she arched more for him as his fingers slid up either side of her spine. But, his hands stopped in the middle of her back and she looked up at him and saw what he wanted even before he began to move.

He lifted himself up and she slid from him, lying back onto the mattress as he leant down over her, covering her body with his. As he settled between her legs he pushed back inside her, and she lifted her legs up around his waist, crossing her lower legs around his back. He was panting with need as his chest met hers, his arms sliding under her shoulders to hold her. She met his eyes, holding his gaze as he began to thrust into her.

No longer having to support her weight or control the movements she laid back in his arms, her eyes on him as he thrust into her, his motions lingering on the edge of his control. She ran her hands over his shoulders, his back and held tightly onto him as he rocked her body. The bed under them rang out a squeaking steady rhythm, but she could feel his control slipping. She pulled her legs higher, rocking with him, rubbing herself against him further as she kept her eyes locked with his.

His hands fisted up in her hair as he kept her gaze. That gaze was hot and full of uninhibited desire and forceful lust. He hid none of it from her, like last night, he surrendered it and she followed him very willingly. She reached down and gripped one globe of his backside, squeezing him. She gasped his name as the crest of her release hovered closer. He thrust deeper somehow, lifting her backside from the mattress and she cried out his name as the overwhelming intense pleasure hit.

"John, yes, yes," she panted as she screwed her eyes shut, tensing her neck and back as the sensations passed through her. She clung to him as the only solidity amidst the storm that hit her. She heard herself crying out uninhibited with the sensations. His hand was abruptly between their bodies, touching against her most sensitive point and it pushed her higher. She was aware of him echoing her name back to her, of his delight clear at her release, and then he thrust once more, his hand leaving her and she felt him tense as well. She clung tighter to him, her body softening as his tensed, his hands tight in her hair. She cried his name again, uncaring as to how much might be heard through the walls of the hotel room. He thrust again, his body almost spent and she felt his mouth against her throat.

"Teyla, oh God, Teyla," he cried out through clenched teeth as he shuddered against her one last time.

She buried her face into the side of his neck within his encompassing embrace and she smiled with delight against his skin. Her body relaxed with complete warmth and sleepy weight, and above her she felt his body find the same as his relaxed weight rested down over her. Like her, he was gasping for breath and he groaned as he pulled away, rolling off her to lie on his back beside her. She smiled as one of his hands rested over her, as they laid shoulder to shoulder panting. She had not minded his weight over her, but she liked the rush of cool air over her overheated body.

"How's the bracelet?" He asked around his slowing breathing.

She lifted her heavy left arm to look at the piece of jewellery. "It is intact," she reported as she chuckled.

"I'm gonna have to get a bigger bed in my quarters," John muttered.

She rolled her head to the side to look at him and she smiled at his clearly happy expression. "The sales are on," she reminded him.

He rolled his head to look back at her and he laughed, the sound lovely and deep. "We're not getting a couch though," he replied. "Though if I order in a big bed people are going to start asking questions," he pointed out. She didn't think that his expression suggested that it would be a problem for him.

"Is this your way of asking if we are going to tell people about us?" She asked him frankly, with an understanding smile on her face, as she rested the back of her left arm against his chest.

His sleepily satisfied eyes met hers. "You're not going to let me get away with anything, are you?" He said, but again he was smiling as he said it.

"You can still pull out of this, John, if you wish," she said carefully, trying to make it sound like it was something that wouldn't tear her heart out.

He lifted an eyebrow at her and made a huffing doubtful sound, making wonderful light of the suggestion. He rolled his head back as he closed his eyes, his breathing almost steady again. "I'll order the bed. What time do you need to be back in the city tomorrow?" He asked, changing the direction of conversation, the option of changing his mind clearly not something he was interested in. She rolled onto her side against him.

"Kanaan has Torren all day, so it does not matter for me. Do you not have a duty shift tomorrow?" She asked.

"No, I took two days off, like you," he replied. "We could do some sales shopping, catch the last minivan back to the Jumper?"

She smiled at the plan, pleased that her time alone with him would be extended. "I would like that, but I thought you did not enjoy shopping trips," she teased. "Did you not say that it was one step down from being forced to go to the spa and ballet?"

He smiled at her, his hand sliding over her belly. "But look how that turned out."

She grinned at him, lifting up on one elbow so that she could lean in to kiss him. He ran his hand over her shoulder and down her back, unabashedly sliding down her back, to linger along the lowest curve of her backside. There were no more barriers between them. She pulled back from his mouth and pressed one more kiss to his chest. His hand slid up her back as she pulled back.

"You're getting cold, let's get back under the covers," he suggested.

She nodded in agreement. The two of them levered themselves into a sitting position and only then did Teyla process that they were at the wrong end of the bed.

"Lucky we didn't break the bed," John muttered as they both crawled up the bed and retrieved most of the duvet from the floor.

As they settled down back at the correct end of the bed, she regarded him for a moment before she rested down. "Are you sure you are happy to tell the others about the change to our relationship?"

He was settling down against his pillow. "Sure," he replied immediately. "Not that they'll probably notice the way they're all wrapped up in their own issues."

She nodded her agreement, as she laid down beside him. "That is true enough."

"We could probably make out in the mess hall and Rodney wouldn't notice," John joked as he slid his arm around her shoulders and she snuggled up against him.

She felt a flush at imagining that and chuckled. "I think he may notice that."

"We could try it and see…" he suggested with a smile. She realised how much brighter it was around them – it was likely they would only get a few hours sleep, but then they had the entire day together again to enjoy.

"I do not think Mr Woolsey would think it appropriate," she replied with a smile of her own as she settled her cheek against him, her hand settling once again over his heart.

"True," he replied, his voice resonant with her ear pressed against his chest. He paused for a moment and she could feel the subtlest tension to him. "What about Kanaan?" He asked quietly.

She looked up from his chest to see his slightly cautious expression. "My relationship with him is truly over, John," she assured him.

"I know," he replied. "But, you know, since I'm likely to be spending more time with Torren…" he trailed off. She smiled at the fact that she actually understood what he meant.

"You feel it would be more honourable to talk to him about this," she concluded.

"I don't know if I would have used the word 'honourable'…" He gave one of his half shrugs and she smiled up at him. This consideration of his suggested to her that he foresaw this relationship lasting and she could not have agreed more. For it was difficult for her now, lying with him, not to feel that the connection she had felt with him since their first meeting, had led up to this. They were friends, warriors together, but now there was so much more potential and she felt blessed with this new gift – something that she had been waiting for a long time to find. That she found it with John was only the more inspiring, and she felt her heart growing desperate with its filling emotions.

"You care a great deal for Torren," she asked with a smile.

John had clearly not expected that, but he nodded immediately. "He's a great little kid." He had said casually, but in that John-way that suggested that what he said was a considerable understatement.

"He loves you too," she told him with a smile.

John's face lit up, but then he tried to appear more casual again. She found it very endearing. All her feelings were rushing through her and she tried to keep control of them.

"We both do," she found herself telling him.

His eyes slid straight to hers, holding her gaze and studying her intensely for a beat. The moment had arrived so naturally and she wished she had waited, but it was upon her, so she smiled at him, letting him see that she had meant her words. She could perhaps hide behind the more casual meaning of her and Torren loving John, but she would wait to see if John would turn to casual acceptance to pass the moment.

His expression softened and he smiled in reply to her. His hand that had been resting on his middle lifted, dislodging the duvet slightly and his fingers touched against her cheek. "I love you both as well," he replied.

It lingered in the air and though it could be taken that he was simply returning the compliment, she felt, as she looked into his eyes, that like her he had taken the subtle cover of Torren's love to convey their love to each other. He may not have said the exact words to her, but she understood that in this moment they were both in the same place and one day they would say the words more directly. For now they were beginning something new together and it delighted her. Understanding flowing between them he nodded and trailed his fingers across her cheek for a moment more.

She settled back down against him, snuggling her cheek against him, feeling warm, comfortable and loved. Tomorrow she would spend another day with him and then in the evening they would return to their home and she would be able to see her son again. She felt in her heart that their lives would be changing considerably from now onwards.

John pulled up the duvet over them a little higher and his hand set to smoothly stroking over her back. They lapsed into silence, both of them allowing the other to still and perhaps sleep. She did not feel that tiredness yet, and she smiled at the steady stroke of his hand across her back. She imagined that she could hear him thinking.

"I'm gonna need a new duvet to go with the new bed," he uttered thoughtfully, his voice soft and quiet. "And some new sheets," he added.

She nodded against his chest. "And new pillowcases and perhaps a throw to protect the covers," she suggested. She felt John chuckle, no doubt also remembering Torren's finger-painting over Rodney's bed last month.

"I might order it all tomorrow, get it delivered with the bed to the local flight base," John considered. The local base was the official address at which they were stationed as far as the rest of John's planet were concerned, but it was merely the landing point for the Jumpers from Atlantis. Anything that couldn't be carried or had been ordered over the computer was delivered to the base and when there was space in a Jumper the supplies and parcels were taken over to Atlantis.

She smiled against John as she agreed – there would certainly be questions about John's large new bed.

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TBC


	13. Chapter 13

**Part**: 13/13

**Note:** And so it is finally complete! Thank you to all of you who have reviewed and commented on this fic. To those who are not logged onto this site when they review, and so I couldn't reply to directly, thank you – such as 'Ocean' who has left such encouraging regular reviews. And once again a BIG thank you to Camy, this one was for you luv!

Happy 2010 to you all XXX

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Teyla lifted her jacket and pulled it on as she crossed her room to where Torren sat playing. Despite the large collection of new toys, he seemed mainly fascinated in the large box someone had given her in which to carry them all up from the mess hall party to her quarters. Torren sat in the large box now, stacking up his building blocks in one corner. She smiled down at her son, who had been so excited to see her last night when she had returned to the city. Being away from him for two days, especially when he was still excited from Christmas, had made him rather hyperactive last night and it had taken her considerably longer than usual to get him to sleep. That she had then lain awake herself, her mind turning with thoughts of John, for several more hours had not helped her tiredness today.

"Come on, Torren. It is time to meet up with John for lunch," she told Torren cheerfully.

Torren looked up with keen interest and stood up carefully within the large box. She reached out to take his hand and support him as he climbed out of the box. Kanaan had given him some new boots and Torren had wished to wear them today, even when playing. The boots were slightly too big for him, for he was growing very quickly, but that did not hamper Torren. He stomped along in his new boots beside her as they walked to the doorway. It would be a long walk if Torren wished to walk all the way to the Mess Hall, but she knew he was not yet capable of walking that far, yet it was important for him to walk as far as he could each day. Gradually he was walking further by himself. She watched him beside her now as they walked down the hallway, people smiling down at him as they passed.

The hallways were still quieter than normal, due to so many remaining with their families until after New Year, and so there were not many who stopped to speak to them, but Torren still had to stop and examine various interesting things as they went. Normally she was very happy to let him set the pace, but today she was eager herself to get to lunch. She had not seen John since yesterday evening. They had shared a nice long kiss before she had left to collect Torren on her way to her quarters. That kiss had left her missing him all night long. She was looking forward to seeing him today and if nothing else, to sit beside him and enjoy his company.

After two hallways Torren began to lose interest in his walk, and his new boots were heavy, so Teyla scooped him up and carried him the rest of the way to the transporter. As usual she held him so he could press the right area on the transporter screen she indicated. The small room filled with its customary burst of light and her heart jumped a little bit with anticipation. The doors opened to the hallway, only two corners from the mess hall and she walked forward quickly, trying not to appear as if she was hurrying.

Ahead of her the mess hall doors opened and she could hear more activity inside than she had expected. She settled Torren in her right arm and looked at her watch – she was later than she had planned. John should have finished his morning shift half an hour ago, but he would not start his later shift until she did in several hours time, so they had some time together after lunch. She planned to invite him back to her quarters to spend the time with her and Torren. She had made sure to thoroughly tidy her quarters this morning, which was foolish since John saw them all the time.

The mess hall doors slid open ahead of her and she heard John's voice immediately amidst the rest and she looked round to discover that their usual table was unexpectedly full. Ronon was sat with his back to her, Amelia beside him, Carson and then even more unexpectedly she spied Rodney sat at the end of the table. She paused. Rodney was not due back in the city until the end of the week. As she moved on towards the lunch selection, she watched Rodney's body language and decided that he was unhappy. A burst of sadness went through her – something had happened between him and Jennifer. She turned her gaze to John, realising how close he had come to winning their bet after all. She expected him to mention that fact quite soon once they were alone. She smiled as she turned to the food and asked Torren what food he would like. She liked to involve him in the choice as much as she could. Though, if he had his way he would eat only desserts. One of the caterers noticed her and moved forward offering to mince up Torren's meat for him. She added some vegetables to the bowl of minced meat and added it to her tray before turning to the desserts. She selected two bowls of pre-cut fruit, smiling as she noticed there were pieces of kiwi fruit among the mix.

She turned back towards the main room, to find that John had noticed her and his smile widened as she approached, but she noted that he was controlling it more than normal. It made her suspect even further that Rodney's relationship had ended.

"Hullo, Teyla," Carson greeted her first as she rounded the table.

"Hello, everyone," she greeted them all. Someone had already set up Torren's high chair beside the vacant seat beside John for her, and she smiled at them all as she set Torren into the seat, Carson helping her from the other side of the high chair.

"We thought you weren't coming," Ronon said.

"I am afraid we were delayed as Torren insisted on wearing his new boots this morning," she told them as she sat down beside John.

All eyes turned to Torren who pointed down to one boot that he had managed to lift up against the side of the table. There was a series of appreciative noises that made Torren grin.

As Teyla settled into her seat she glanced at John to find his eyes on her and not on Torren's boots. He gave her another smile and she felt a flush of warmth and pleasure at being beside him once again. She slid her gaze from him to Rodney and back with a raised eyebrow. John gave her a look in response that did indeed communicate the fact that he had only lost the bet by a few days. She tried not to smile, and looked back at Rodney, but his attention was focused rather moodily down on his food.

"John said it snowed in San Francisco," Carson said drawing her attention round to him.

"Yes, the night we were there. Not very much and it only lasted for the following morning," she reported. She remembered waking yesterday morning to the sounds of the delivery of the breakfast John had ordered for them. Once she had climbed sleepily from their bed, dressed in the night shirt John had left out for her, she had found John in the sitting room looking out of the window. He had pointed out through the frosted glass telling her that it had snowed that night, clearly having been eagerly waiting for her to wake to tell her.

She resisted the urge to glance at John again, wondering if he was thinking along the same lines.

"They are forecasting more," Amelia supplied.

Teyla picked up Torren's bowl of food and turned, only for Carson to reach out for it, offering to feed Torren since he sat so close and had finished his own food. She handed over the bowl with a smile.

"We should head over if it does, take Torren to see the snow," John suggested from her right.

"You want snow, we should head up to Canada," Rodney added, his voice clear though a little sad.

"I think he's a little young for skiing Rodney," John replied.

"I wasn't suggesting we strap him to little skies," Rodney muttered and the rest of the table laugh at the image. "There would be proper snow there and we could build a snowman for him."

"On Sateda we used to build small fortresses out of snow," Ronon reported.

"What a surprise," Rodney muttered.

"Was that to play in or to practice your warrior skills?" Amelia asked Ronon teasingly, her chin resting in her hand as she smiled at him beside her.

"What's the difference?" He asked with a smile.

As she ate her lunch, happy Torren was behaving well for Carson, Teyla looked round at the table, smiling at her friends and then studying Rodney as subtly as she could. Then finally she allowed herself to look at John again, her senses having been acutely attuned to his every little movement beside her. He was laughing at something Carson said and then he looked at her. She met his eyes and watched that softened look in his eyes return as he smiled back at her. She held his eyes for an extra long moment and then looked away again with a smile.

She wondered how their friends around the table would react if she were simply hold John's hand as they sat beside each other. Though she and John had agreed they would not hide their relationship, they were also not the type to show off the new changes. She wondered if it was the knowledge that something had happened between Rodney and Jennifer now that prevented her from sliding her chair closer to John's and allowing herself to gaze at him as openly as they had been over the last couple of days when they had been alone together. She was looking forward to spending time with him again after lunch.

With that in mind she turned her attention to the conversation around the table, relieved that it appeared that she had not missed much.

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It was nice to spend time will they all again, John thought. Though it was obvious that something had happened to bring Rodney back to the city early, they all seemed happy enough. Torren was currently munching his way through a fruit salad, assisted by Carson as needed, and beside John, Teyla had turned to her own fruit bowl. He watched as she lifted the bowl, the bright green kiwi fruit standing out for him among the selection, reminding him of the dark chocolate dipped variety he had watched Teyla eat. He had managed to shift his chair subtly closer to hers, but there was still more space between them than he would have liked.

"I should get going," Amelia announced, looking down at her watch. "My shift starts in ten minutes."

"I'll go with you," Ronon said as he stood up with her.

The two of them made their exit and John watched the couple head across the mess hall. They didn't hold hands or walk very closely together, but they seemed happy enough. Since Christmas they had spent more time at the group meals and John began to suspect that the relationship was going to last longer than everyone expected. Still, John knew that this was the first true relationship Ronon had entered into since he had lost his woman back on Sateda. He had said she had been as close to a wife as to be no difference, and John had seen the sadness in the big guy's eyes on the few occasions that the subject had been brought up. John watched his friend now as he wandered out of the room with Amelia, his attitude appearing casual and relaxed, but John knew that was far from the truth. For the first time John had a twinge of worry for his friend – that Ronon might lose out on a good thing with Amelia as he remembered a long lost woman, or was he perhaps opening himself up to another heartbreak? John wondered then if he was referring to himself as much as he was Ronon.

He glanced at Teyla again beside him, but as he looked at her he had no twinges of regret or worry. In some ways she looked a little like Nancy – short stature and petite build, but that was where the similarities ended. He and Nancy hadn't really understood each other, even at the height of their marriage. But he knew Teyla in a way he had known few other women, and in other brand new ways. He trusted her completely to protect his back, and he knew with absolute assurance that she would never betray him. She was a loyal, trustworthy, capable and understanding woman. And she understood the military life. Though, he suspected that her being a part of that world would cause him a fair few terrified moments in the future, at the same time it felt right. Only once before had he been involved with a woman through his work and he had lost her, but even that had been very different from what he had with Teyla.

That they got on so well, understood and accepted each other was great in itself, but the physical side had been fantastic as well. He remembered his father telling him that he had better keep Nancy around, because she was a woman worth keeping. Though he agreed that Nancy was a wonderful woman, she had not been right for him. Teyla however, was a woman who satisfied him on so many levels it was shocking. That she would also be a partner who would challenge him and not allow him to push her away unnecessarily was also good, because he realised he needed a woman like that. He needed someone who would push him and ask of him all he could give, and he was so very ready to give Teyla whatever she wanted. That she seemed to want nothing from him other than his presence, only made him want to keep her closer.

He realised he was staring at her and he blinked his eyes away from her, unsure how long he had been studying her. He glanced round at Rodney, to see that he was still sat with his attention fixed on his food. John looked back round to Carson with a questioning look and lifted an eyebrow as he nodded towards Rodney. Carson saw the look and shrugged.

"Did you get to visit your sister, Rodney?" Teyla asked directly and John barely suppressed his smile as he glanced at her and then looked back at Rodney.

Rodney looked up at her question. "I visited her yesterday, but I have things to do here, so…"

"I thought you were going to spend the rest of the week with her?" Carson asked carefully.

"Well, she's busy and there's plenty I've got to do here."

"How was Christmas?" John asked, pushing him, for Rodney had spent it with Keller and her family.

"Christmas day was okay, but…ummm, things didn't go so well after that," he finally admitted.

"What happened, Rodney?" John asked directly.

"Umm…I suppose I should probably tell you…Jennifer and I have decided to take a break…from each other," he said.

John nodded, feeling properly regretful for his friend. John remembered the futuristic hologram version of Rodney he had encountered, and he remembered the pain in those artificially replicated eyes when he had talked about Keller. Rodney had seemed to have really loved her. But, then that future didn't exist any more, and perhaps this relationship had lasted longer than what that future version of Rodney had experienced before his Keller had died. John wished he had something supportive to say for his friend, but he was never all that good at that stuff. He turned to Teyla.

"We are very sorry to hear that, Rodney," she was already saying. John glanced back at Rodney, nodding his agreement with what Teyla said.

"Thanks," Rodney replied. "I guess sometimes, things don't work out the way you expect," he said.

"You want to go for a fishing trip or something?" John offered.

"Aye, or we could organise that trip up to Canada. I'm sure we could all do with a play in the snow," Carson suggested cheerfully.

"That's a good idea," John agreed. He looked to Teyla. "We could go snowboarding."

She smiled at him as she set her finished bowl of fruit down. "I thought you said it would be best for those of us who have not snowboarded before to try skiing first?"

"Okay, skiing for you," he amended with a smile.

"I haven't been skiing for years," Carson remarked thoughtfully. "We could all sit around a roaring fire in the evenings."

"We could probably only get a few days away from here," John considered, "But it'll be fun," he added turning back to Rodney.

Rodney frowned a little, but it was clear he was tempted. "Okay," he agreed.

"Great," John smiled, pleased that there was something good to do for him, and at the same time John got to introduce Teyla to skiing. He looked round at her again and smiled, seeing her eyes sparkling as she looked up at him. He made himself look away from her after a beat, remembering where they were.

"I think I go start on…that project I started," Rodney announced abruptly as he set his fork down and began to get up.

"Okay, you gonna be here at dinner?" John asked him.

"Sure," Rodney replied, but John suspected Rodney would be shutting himself away in his lab for awhile now. John made a mental note to make sure he dragged him out of the lab from time to time. At least a skiing trip might brighten Rodney up. "I'll see you all later," Rodney said as he lifted his tray and walked away.

"See you later, Rodney," Teyla called out to him.

They watched him walk away and join the back of the small queue to empty his tray. John glanced round at Teyla and they exchanged a look. At the end of the table beside Torren, Carson began to stand as well.

"I'll see you later my wee man," Carson said to Torren as he stood. He had no tray, since Amelia and Ronon had taken it for him, and Teyla had already cleared away Torren's empty food bowls on her tray. "I can see that you two had a _lovely_ time in San Francisco, so I shall leave you alone," he added as he stood, smirking his pleased smile at them before he turned to leave.

John frowned in surprise as he watched the doctor walk away, clearly pleased with himself. He watched the doctor pass by Rodney in the queue, saying something, no doubt encouragingly.

"How did he know?" John muttered as he reached for his cup, watching the doctor disappear out of the main doors.

"He's Carson," Teyla replied simply.

John glanced round at her with a half smile at her explanation. She lifted her eyebrows with her smile. There weren't a lot of people left in the mess hall and since they were now alone at their table he reached across the small distance between their legs and stroked his hand over her thigh. She dropped her hand to her lap and he smiled as they linked hands, hidden beneath the table like they were kids at school. He ran his thumb over the back of her hand.

"What're you and Torren planning to do for the next couple of hours?" He asked.

"We thought," she looked round at Torren, as if to consult him, and then back to John. "That we would invite you to join us in our quarters."

He smiled in reply. "Sounds like fun."

Her hand tightened in his and he was filled with anticipation with the moment when he could join her back in her quarters. The next couple of hours could be spent with her and Torren, and he would be able to sit with her, free to hold her and let his gaze wander over her appreciatively.

He pulled his eyes from her now, looking back across the room to where Rodney had finally reached the front of the queue. John felt a twinge of regret again for his friend, but at the same time John had not been totally surprised by the outcome. He frowned at the fact that if he had set New Year's day as the deadline for the bet he would have won, but then it wasn't like he hadn't enjoyed Teyla's day in San Francisco. He wondered if he had won – would things have played out differently between him and Teyla?

He was about to look away from Rodney back to her, when he noticed Rodney stop, his attention fixed on something across the room. John slid his gaze in that direction and saw that Katie Brown had just entered the mess hall through the side entrance. John looked back at Rodney and saw him hesitate twice on his way out of the room. He reached the exit and looked back once more towards Katie before he finally disappeared from John's view out of the mess hall.

John frowned thoughtfully and turned to Teyla beside him.

"Feel like making another bet?"

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THE END


End file.
